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

The problem is, watching their children is very taxing. — R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 4 June 2026 This work can be so emotionally heavy and taxing, and there are many moments where the needs are definitely greater than the resources available. — Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026

Verb

Manually controlling a large number of such probes would be a taxing and expensive enterprise, which explains why the startup developed Solo. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 23 Sep. 2026 Flat tax debate Still, threats to leave are the predictable response whenever a state floats taxing the wealthy. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for taxing

Recent Examples of Synonyms for taxing

Adjective

Blocking new infections on a wider scale is far more challenging.

— David Cox, NPR, 26 Sep. 2026
Ed Sheeran‘s challenging month continues as a pair of his high-profile stadium shows have been canceled due to weather.

— William Earl, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of challenging

Verb

The nor'easter brought severe wind and heavy rain across the Northeast Saturday and Sunday, with the storms stretching from Maine down to New York.

— Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
The fuel price hike prompted a series of protests stretching from Idlib – the interim government’s base – to Aleppo and Damascus.

— Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of stretching

Adjective

More demanding data processing can take place on an external wearable hub.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
Yet for blue-collar workers, staying longer in physically demanding jobs in order to reach those age milestones may be difficult, according to Stevens' proposal.

— Lorie Konish, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of demanding

Verb

Right tackle Blake Frazier left the game in the third quarter, trying to keep weight off his right leg, and later returned to play.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
Trump already faces opposition to the Iran war among many in his own Republican Party, but trying to find a face-saving way to end it quickly could anger allies, too.

— Robin Wright, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of trying

Adjective

Walk up to the pastry case and prepare to make some difficult decisions.

— Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026
Fish can be hard to find and harder to catch this time of year, but American anglers have adapted to difficult fishing conditions.

— Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of difficult

Verb

Some medicines have more than tripled in price, further straining Iranians' finances seven months into the country's war with the United States and Israel.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
The war in Iran has challenged Gulf energy infrastructure, straining exports from key producers and pushing Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar to try and find alternate ways to export their crude and LNG.

— Emma Graham, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of straining

Verb

Minh Connors | Bloomberg | Getty Images Coming off the successful launch of its Muse AI agent, Meta is now pushing its new artificial intelligence service into the business world.

— Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
That visibility gives leaders the leverage to address the underlying constraints instead of asking teams to keep pushing against them.

— Angela Palo, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of pushing

Verb

After several years spent developing and testing its technology, the company is now shifting its focus toward production.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026
The mission focused on testing the vessel and its scientific drilling systems in ultra-deep water.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 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 1 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of taxing

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

slew

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes