high-maintenance

adjective

high-main·​te·​nance ˈhī-ˈmānt-nən(t)s 

-ˈmān-tə-nən(t)s

1

: requiring a large amount of care or maintenance

The high-maintenance "Dracula" orchid constantly needs high levels of humidity and cooler temperatures.

—Victoria Colliver

They can't even afford the high-maintenance hairdos, let alone the Adidas sweats.

—Gerri Hirshey

2

of a person : tending to cause problems or demand attention : extremely sensitive, demanding, or temperamental

Playing the victim gets you absolutely nowhere, and it only makes you seem tiring and high-maintenance to your boss.

—Cosmopolitan

Matthäus is the greatest German sweeper since Beckenbauer, but he's high-maintenance. At various times in his career, he has accused a ref of taking bribes, scrapped with a teammate and, three years ago, ripped his universally beloved German teammate Jürgen Klinsmann in a tell-all book.

—Jeff Bradley

Examples of high-maintenance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Harvin could be a high-maintenance personality. —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025

Traditional flat windows were fragile and high-maintenance, whereas glass block is thick, strong, well-insulated, and offers privacy all at once. —Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Oct. 2025

Hendrix, who portrayed Nick's high-maintenance fiancée, Meredith Blake, is currently single. —Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025

While the material may be a high-maintenance choice (fingerprints galore), the timeless material is having a resurgence thanks to the chrome trend. —Rachel Fletcher, Architectural Digest, 22 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for high-maintenance

• maintenance