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

After transitioning out of the law department at her company and into a demanding role in risk and compliance, Pratt no longer had the flexibility to balance work and studying in the same way. —Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026

Modern fighter engines operate in extremely demanding conditions, where turbine sections are exposed to temperatures high enough to weaken conventional metals. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 8 May 2026

What Auntie Sheila seemed to learn from this episode was that the demanding combination of children and the farm had pushed Eileen too far. —Literary Hub, 8 May 2026

Robots are expected to take on repetitive, physically demanding tasks. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 May 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