TAXING Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

taxing 1 of 2

adjective

ˈtak-siŋ

Definition of taxing

as in challenging

requiring much time, effort, or careful attention a very taxing workload that is taking a lot of time to finish

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

taxing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of tax

as in stretching

to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress your constant arguing is starting to tax my patience

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 taxing

Adjective

Roberts thought Sheehan’s second-inning pitch count had become too taxing for a pitcher who returned from Tommy John surgery less than a year ago. — Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 8 June 2026 The problem is, watching their children is very taxing. — R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 4 June 2026

Verb

In August, the city restarted the process of approving the special taxing district, but with redrawn boundaries to exclude those two apartment buildings, eliminating the residents’ ability to trigger another moratorium. — Sacbee.com, 11 Nov. 2026 Newsom has also expressed a preference for taxing billionaires at the federal level and says a California-only wealth tax would be limited to funding healthcare and not other needs. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for taxing

Recent Examples of Synonyms for taxing

Adjective

Manufacturing electronic devices from it remains difficult, particularly because reliably controlling its electrical properties through doping is challenging.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
Porter knew Friday’s game would be a challenging one against the Tillers.

— Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of challenging

Verb

Jim Gardiner, who was kicking off his campaign for a third term representing a ward stretching northwest from Irving Park to Sauganash.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 10 Nov. 2026
By stretching out their wings and riding these currents, vultures can gain altitude with little effort.

— Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 9 Nov. 2026

Definition of stretching

Verb

The 42-year-old woman, who was driving the SUV, and the 35-year-old man riding in the vehicle were arrested after trying to flee the scene on foot, according to the sheriff's office.

— CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
With fall in full swing in the South, outdoor critters are inevitably trying to find their way into our homes.

— Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of trying

Adjective

The pilot must compensate manually using the controller, which can be difficult if the aircraft is far away or difficult to see.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
The chocolatey all-suede style was first released in October 2023 and has become increasingly difficult to track down over the years, with certain sizes commanding premium prices on the secondary market.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of difficult

Verb

The United States must pursue delicate, nuanced diplomacy to avoid creating a stronger, legitimized North Korea; straining its alliances with Seoul and Tokyo; and debilitating the international nonproliferation regime.

— Stephen E. Biegun, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2026
Russian forces hammered energy infrastructure around Ukraine’s capital with missiles and drones overnight, straining Kyiv’s power supply ‌and heating systems as temperatures headed towards zero, officials said on Saturday.

— Reuters, NBC news, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of straining

Verb

Hood is not the only person pushing for a pause on executions in Florida.

— Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2026
The Associated Press declared Matsui the winner Tuesday afternoon over Vang, a Sacramento City Council member who entered the race pushing for a new generation of Democratic leadership.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of pushing

Verb

The internet has tried just about everything in the name of fuller lips, from overlining them into an entirely new shape to testing every plumping gloss that promises a little extra volume.

— Camila Quimper, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2026
The Nets are 2-8, and his struggles are testing Fernández’s insistence that playing time must be earned.

— C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of testing

Browse Nearby Words

taxiing

taxing

taxis

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Taxing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taxing. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of taxing

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

impertinent

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes