- present participle of demand.
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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Difficult
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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.
Also, since last month, students have led wide-scale protests demanding higher investment into the country’s high schools.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across France on Tuesday demanding better conditions in high schools.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Anduril is putting up billions of its own capital, as Administrations of both parties are always demanding from weapons makers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Her co-star Grant was known for being very demanding of his leading ladies.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
“Mooooo!” she said, after demanding more tea and of course, chocolates.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
