demanding

adjective

de·​mand·​ing di-ˈman-diŋ 

-ˈmän-, 

dē-

: requiring much time, effort, or attention : exacting

a demanding job

demanding customers

demandingly

di-ˈman-diŋ-lē 

-ˈmän-, 

dē-

adverb

demandingness noun

Synonyms of demanding

• challenging
• difficult

Examples of demanding in a Sentence

She had a demanding schedule with little free time.

Factory work can be physically demanding.

I have heard it is one of the most demanding courses at the university.

Their boss was really demanding, often expecting them to work long into the night.

Recent Examples on the Web

Not all musicals will be as demanding as that. —Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026

My offspring are way more demanding. —Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026

Wall pointed to a key safety provision built into the course around Mile 18, where the route doubles back toward the finish so runners could cross to the return side rather than continuing through the most demanding stretch. —Michelle Edgar, Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026

The bots executed this repetitive and physically demanding job for 10 hours a day, five days a week. —New Atlas, 7 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of demand entry 2

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for demanding

• commanding
• disbanding
• expanding
• freestanding
• misbranding
• outstanding
• remanding
• upstanding
• withstanding
• banding
• branding
• handing

Kids Definition

demanding

adjective

de·​mand·​ing

di-ˈman-diŋ

: making many or difficult demands : exacting

a demanding job

demandingly adverb