challenging
Americanadjective
-
offering a challenge; testing one's ability, endurance, etc.
a challenging course;
a challenging game.
-
stimulating, interesting, and thought-provoking.
a challenging suggestion.
-
provocative; intriguing.
a challenging smile.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- challengingly adverb
- nonchallenging adjective
- unchallenging adjective
Etymology
Origin of challenging
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, as a gerund; 1835–45 for sense of "testing one's ability"; challenge ( def. ), -ing 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.
Asia-Pacific economies face a challenging time ahead as the fallout of the Middle East conflict threatens to fan inflation and curb growth, the Asian Development Bank said in its latest outlook.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Sales fell 6% as strong growth in the U.S. and Europe only partially offset a hefty sales drop in China, and challenging macroeconomic and market conditions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
Storyteller Antjuan Tobias, who is a jump-first-think-later kind of guy, echoed several performers by describing L.A. dating as challenging.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Infrastructure also remains challenging, to say the least.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
On my parents' end, they couldn't understand why I was making an already challenging situation worse.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
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.
