demanding 1 of 2

adjective

di-ˈman-diŋ How to pronounce demanding (audio)
Definition of demandingnext
1
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention the demanding assignment kept them working all night long

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in exacting
hard to please will play before a demanding audience of music critics, who are not easily impressed

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort the demanding task of reading and grading student compositions

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

demanding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of demand
1
as in requiring
to ask for (something) earnestly or with authority the losing party demanded a recount of the votes cast in the election

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in needing
to have as a requirement a task that demands one's unremitting attention

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in asking
to set or receive as a price superstars of the big screen who demand millions for appearing in a movie

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of demanding
Adjective
Balancing the wants and needs of these more demanding users has been a challenge that BYOK founder Nick Sjolinder has been trying to figure out how to tackle. — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 29 Aug. 2026 Don’t Use Tap Water While many plants are fine with tapwater, a Venus flytrap is a little more demanding. — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
Hey, make no mistake, Cristobal has his never-look-ahead blinders on, dialed into making this about a parade of 1-0 weeks and demanding his players think like that. — Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026 But McGarvey also captures the comic horror show of low-budget filmmaking in Britain at the time as one producer dips into his own pocket to pay off some bolshy background artists demanding extra to cover their expenses. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for demanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demanding
  1. challenging
  2. exacting
  3. difficult
  4. requiring
  5. needing
  6. asking
  7. careful
  8. tough
Adjective
  • Eric Loucks, the director of the Mindfulness Center at Brown, pointed out that a person can have a challenging experience during meditation and still find their overall meditation practice to be beneficial.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
  • For something more hands-on, Atlanta Motorsports Park in Dawsonville has a challenging kart circuit where karts can reach 50 mph or more.
    — Chris Teague, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of challenging
Adjective
  • Every place on this list has been vetted and endorsed, again and again, by the world’s most exacting travelers.
    — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 23 July 2026
  • Loathe have always been committed to self-production (their 2017 debut is their only album that credits an outside co-producer), but A Stranger to You begs for more exacting supervision.
    — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 16 July 2026
Definition of exacting
Adjective
  • Being undefeated after a trio of difficult opening matches can only be seen as a positive, even if Newcastle’s obvious shortcomings require addressing if that run is to be prolonged.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Engineers need flight data on propulsion, aerodynamics, thermal management, guidance and other subsystems under conditions that are difficult to reproduce on the ground.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of difficult
Verb
  • The convention comes just after Labor Day, as the campaign season kicks off in earnest, requiring candidates to take time away from talking to voters less than two months before Election Day.
    — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Another key revision would stop requiring the government to automatically categorize people who identify with Middle Eastern or North African groups as white.
    — Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of requiring
Verb
  • The Big Ten enters this week largely unscathed after Week 1, with 15 of its teams winning in regulation, another needing assistance from clock operators and two falling considerably short.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Besides needing to accommodate numerous reentries from SpaceX’s and Blue Origin’s multi-use rockets, another type to consider comes from Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser space plane, which recently gained new contracts for its inaugural orbital flight.
    — Elizabeth Howell, Scientific American, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of needing
Verb
  • Missouri is asking the Supreme Court to overturn the state Supreme Court’s blockage of a new congressional map ahead of the November general election.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026
  • But asking whether the problem is useful is the wrong question, Verhoeff argues.
    — Emma R. Hasson, Scientific American, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of asking
Adjective
  • The Challenges of Caring for a Fireclay Sink However, the same gleaming surface that makes a fireclay sink an anchor of your kitchen design requires a more intentional, careful cleaning routine than some other materials.
    — Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The premise couldn’t be simpler, though Wollner’s incredible prologue — a careful arrangement of low-event long takes that emphasize how people move through spaces in time — trains our eyes to privilege texture over incident.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of careful
Adjective
  • Competing in a Grand Tour is one of sport’s toughest endurance tests.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Trump used several minutes of his speech to praise Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is in a tough Senate race in America's largest red state.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of tough

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Cite this Entry

“Demanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demanding. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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