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
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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.
The extra amount of return that investors are demanding to own longer-term bonds is rising beyond what would be explained by movements in short-term rates, according to calculations by the San Francisco Fed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Content identified as suspicious could then be sent to more computationally demanding digital models for a more detailed final assessment.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
Last week, representatives for the fast-food chain emailed Silva and the team demanding that all content from the shoot be taken down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
Jenny Farrall‑Bird, area manager for charity the Trussel Trust, said this time of year was especially demanding for food banks.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Scores of letters were sent to the White House and the Justice Department demanding his arrest; many of them stated it was long overdue.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
