demanding
Americanadjective
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requiring or claiming more than is generally felt by others to be due.
a demanding teacher.
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calling for intensive effort or attention; taxing.
a demanding job.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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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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.
But California Coastkeeper Alliance and other nonprofit groups submitted petitions to regional water officials across the state this week demanding they begin regulating commercial properties such as big-box stores, auto dealers and industrial parks.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
In February 2023, he took a “risky, physically demanding, clandestine trip” to war-torn Ukraine—“further evidence that in spite of his age he was still very much up to the job.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
Eight South Korean-born adoptees are suing Denmark for its role in their illegal adoptions decades ago, demanding the state admit responsibility for covering up their origins.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
Now the new worry on Wall Street is that investors are simply losing patience and demanding higher compensation to lend money to the government.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
I was surrounded by tissue boxes that seemed to be demanding, Cry!
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
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.
