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

Hospitals across Colorado are urging people to roll up their sleeves and donate blood as supplies drop during one of the most demanding times of the year. —Tori Mason, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026

Frank Bisignano, who’s head of the Social Security Administration, is the first-ever IRS CEO, and the acting commissioner is Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent—someone who has another very demanding job. —Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026

The job is mentally and physically demanding, with grueling hours and limited opportunities to use a bathroom. —Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 19 Jan. 2026

Others are balancing family schedules, long-distance relationships, or demanding workdays. —Nia Bowers, USA Today, 19 Jan. 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