taxing

American  

[tak-sing] / ˈtæk sɪŋ /

adjective

1. wearingly burdensome.

   the day-to-day, taxing duties of a supervisor.

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taxing British  

/ ˈtæksɪŋ /

adjective

1. demanding, onerous, and wearing

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Other Word Forms

• taxingly
  adverb
• untaxing
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of taxing

First recorded in 1790–1800; tax + -ing ²

Explanation

Taxing things are stressful and difficult. Climbing a mountain is taxing, and so is spending an entire day babysitting an unruly toddler. Things that are taxing wear you out, either physically or mentally (or both). You may think of physical jobs like construction work as the most taxing kind of employment, until you realize how emotionally taxing it would be to care for sick patients as a nurse, or how mentally taxing you might find working as an accountant. This adjective comes from the verb tax, which means "to put a strain on."

Example Sentences

Taxing those values allows cities to recapture some of the gains created by their own policies.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

Taxing selected UPFs could help support subsidies for healthier options, particularly for low-income households.

From Science Daily • Nov. 24, 2025

Taxing vast fortunes that exist largely on paper could also pose significant logistical challenges.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

Taxing worldwide income would mean taxing BP and Shell on profits made in places like the US, activities they will have paid US tax on already.

From BBC • May 11, 2022

Taxing them immediately after their trade is restrained, seems like drying up the source, and expecting the stream to flow.

From The History of Emily Montague by Brooke, Frances

Related Words

• demanding
• disturbing
• onerous
• stressful
• tedious
• troublesome
• trying