challenged
Americanadjective
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Often Offensive. a euphemism for disabled (usually preceded by an adverb).
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deficient or lacking (usually preceded by an adverb or noun and used facetiously).
ethically challenged; math-challenged.
adjective
Sensitive Note
See disabled.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of challenged
An Americanism dating back to 1980–85; challenge ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Challenged about whether some of his work has involved other-than-appropriate subject matter for comedy, Mr. Brooks grows serious.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026
Challenged, Mr. Stiglitz agreed to do a study, and found that higher-paying jobs like software engineers were being minted.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025
Challenged over whether the sanctions would have an impact, Migration Minister Seema Malhotra told the BBC that freezing assets would leave groups unable to interact with the UK economy and "disrupt" their operations.
From BBC • Jul. 23, 2025
Fifty years and many primetime teen soaps later, “Forever” holds the No. 7 slot on the American Library Association’s list of Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books: 1990-1999.
From Salon • May 21, 2025
Maybe he’s lonely, she said, and I just looked at her wondering if she expected me to open a Home for the Socially Challenged or what.
From "How I Live Now" by Meg Rosoff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
