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.
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provocative; intriguing.
a challenging smile.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of challenging
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, as a gerund; 1835–45 for sense of "testing one's ability"; see challenge ( def. ), -ing 2 ( def. )
Explanation
If something is challenging, you better bring your "A game." It isn't going to be easy but you will get to test your skills as you push yourself, like completing a challenging crossword puzzle or a challenging hike up a mountain. Another meaning of challenging is "causing to question values or assumptions," like a challenging movie that makes you re-evaluate your attitude about something. In other words, it challenges what you believe. People sometimes use challenging as a polite — and far more positive — substitute for troublesome or problematic, as in, "This challenging situation will require everyone's patience."
Vocabulary lists containing challenging
Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 11-20
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Towers Falling
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Persuasive and Assertive Tones
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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.
Despite the overall labor market looking a bit stronger in recent months, the employment outlook for teenagers remains challenging.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
“It’s just two teams that are challenging each other at the highest level of basketball,” Thunder superstar and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026
Further reporting by the Times and ProPublica revealed the agency was also challenging his claims of big losses on a Chicago development that could have resulted in a $100 million tax bill.
From Salon • May 25, 2026
And what I find fascinating about him is his ability to morph into new styles and to keep challenging himself.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026
It was a case challenging the Alabama Department of Public Safety’s decision to administer state driver’s license examinations only in English.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
