demanding

1 of 2

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

demanding

2 of 2

present participle of demand entry 2

Synonyms of demanding

Adjective

• challenging
• difficult

Examples of demanding in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

Clear resins can be some of the most demanding materials to print, with even minor exposure issues showing up as cloudiness, yellowing, or a loss of fine detail. — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026

The squad underwent intensive work in Portugal, where players generally had one long, demanding morning session, before being given time to recover, often with yoga and massages. — Paul Taylor, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Because descending stairs is a demanding braking task, many people start to notice achy knees on their way down. — Dana Santas, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

Moskowitz has been saving much of his campaign money for what many predict will be a demanding fall campaign. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of demand entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

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