challenging

adjective chal·leng·ing \ -lən-jiŋ \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 2018

Examples: challenging in a Sentence

Definition of challenging

1 : arousing competitive interest, thought, or action

a challenging course of study

a challenging job

2 : invitingly provocative : fascinating

a challenging personality

challenging questions

—

challengingly

play \-jiŋ-lē\ adverb

See challenging defined for English-language learners

Examples of challenging in a Sentence

I find the job challenging and fun.
Teaching is challenging but rewarding work.
It's a challenging book that requires careful reading.
The slope was challenging for even the most experienced climbers.

Recent Examples of challenging from the Web

The sound check takes longer than ever today, and Josh especially has his hands full, this venue being way more challenging in terms of sound than the other two smaller venues were.

— Longreads, "Tennis vs. Tennis," 13 July 2018
Mountain bikers, try Valmont Bike Park and the more challenging Betasso Preserve.

— melanie d.g. kaplan, chicagotribune.com, "Boulder, Colorado, does things its own way," 12 July 2018
Walden finds itself clearly at the more challenging end of the arthouse spectrum but deserves to be seen on as wide a screen as possible.

— boyd van hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Walden': Film Review | Karlovy Vary 2018," 12 July 2018
Tack on North Fork and Chocolate Gulch for additional vert and a more backcountry feel, or combine those two with Oregon Gulch and Saddle Trail from the Oregon Gulch trailhead for an even more challenging ride.

— aaron gulley, Outside Online, "An Outdoor Enthusiast's Guide to Ketchum, Idaho," 11 July 2018
Integrating the assets will be a massive undertaking made only more challenging by industry disruptions and fast-changing consumer habits.

— elizabeth winkler, WSJ, "Winning the Fox Bidding War Is Just the Beginning," 10 July 2018
Image Spacious is part of a broader debate over how to use spaces in cities as people increasingly buy items online instead of in stores and as labor costs make restaurants an even more challenging proposition.

— nellie bowles, New York Times, "Sorry, Power-Lunchers. These Tables Are Reserved for Drop-In Workers.," 8 July 2018
The more challenging backdrop also led analysts to start reducing forecasts for corporate profits, which had been expected to underscore a rally this year after rising in recent years.

— Fortune, "This Metric Shows Emerging-Market Stocks Are Cheap, Cheap, Cheap," 6 July 2018
In other words, jump lunges are basically a tougher, more challenging version of standard lunges, with extra core and hip stabilization work thrown in, too.

— jenny mccoy, SELF, "Why Doing Jumping Lunges Like Jordana Brewster Has Powerful Strength and Cardio Benefits," 2 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'challenging.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.