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.
Huang said a goal of the US commerce secretary to have 40 percent of US chips made domestically will be "very challenging" to achieve given how fast demand is growing.
From Barron's
New research reveals that bull sharks form social relationships with specific "friends," challenging the long-standing belief that these predators live mostly solitary lives.
From Science Daily
However, commercializing such technologies has been challenging, due to fiscal and regulatory hurdles in the healthcare industry.
A lawsuit challenging semiannual reporting is likely, but the SEC looks like it’s on solid legal ground, so companies probably will be able to opt into semiannual reporting starting next year, according to Seiberg.
From MarketWatch
Such a task would have uncertain prospects and would likely require the biggest and most technically challenging special-forces operation in history.
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.
