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
- demandingly adverb
- nondemanding adjective
- overdemanding adjective
- overdemandingly adverb
- quasi-demanding adjective
- quasi-demandingly adverb
- undemanding adjective
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.
This requires calculating the energy involved in countless interactions between electrons and atoms, which is usually extremely demanding in terms of computing power.
From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026
Following Villegas’ arrest on Thursday, Tolchin filed a habeas petition in federal court, challenging his incarceration and demanding his immediate release.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
Several Republican and Democratic congressional staffers I spoke with tell me their telephone calls from constituents demanding Congress take action against Trump are becoming more frequent.
From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026
The case has gripped Argentina, with some of his fans holding up signs outside of the Buenos Aires court demanding “Justice for God,” a reference to Maradona’s status as a demigod.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
"I don't know how, but they followed me here. I have half of Ishtar's kitties living downstairs. Never met such demanding beasts."
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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.
