- present participle of demand.
demanding
Americanadjective
-
requiring or claiming more than is generally felt by others to be due.
a demanding teacher.
-
calling for intensive effort or attention; taxing.
a demanding job.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of demanding
Explanation
Something that's demanding calls for more work or skill than the typical task. Babysitting might seem like an easy job, but depending on the kids it can actually be incredibly demanding. A demanding job might require a lot of physical work, like farming, or a lot of patience and diplomacy, like being a teacher or a marriage counselor. When a person is described as demanding, it usually means that he or she has very high standards or is especially hard to satisfy. The word comes from the Old French demander, "to request or demand," by way of the Latin demandare, "entrust."
Vocabulary lists containing demanding
Prince (1958-2016) Tribute List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Difficult
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
Strikingly, this comes at a time when beleaguered orchestra musicians have also been demanding a more democratically minded workplace.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
Cash flows are being questioned over concerns that they’ve in some cases already turned negative, he said, noting that “investors are being more demanding on their expectations.”
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
Protests erupted on Saturday, with striking garment workers demanding more than double the current minimum monthly wage.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
A Justice for Irfan Al-Hussaini Facebook page has more than 8,000 followers, and a Change.org petition demanding an investigation has topped 15,000 signatures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
Bill Donovan and James Roosevelt kept demanding the impossible, and she felt they condescended to her.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
