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Showing results for "demanding"
  • present participle of demand.
Search instead for desanding.
Synonyms

demanding

American  
[dih-man-ding, -mahn-] / dɪˈmæn dɪŋ, -ˈmɑn- /

adjective

  1. requiring or claiming more than is generally felt by others to be due.

    a demanding teacher.

  2. calling for intensive effort or attention; taxing.

    a demanding job.


demanding British  
/ dɪˈmɑːndɪŋ /

adjective

  1. requiring great patience, skill, etc

    a demanding job

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of demanding

First recorded in 1520–30; demand + -ing 2


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."

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Vocabulary lists containing demanding

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.

See Examples For:

This fall, a wave of protests first initiated by high-school students demanding improved facilities led to a nationwide breakdown in law and order on Oct.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

The central bank seized the digital lender, and people took to the streets protesting and demanding Peña's resignation.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

On May 6, Kato ordered prosecutors to produce a slew of records that the attorneys had been demanding, including all communications about the incident produced by any officer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

Investors have been demanding proof that the billions pouring into artificial intelligence are producing something more than great expectations.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

Several months later, three hundred suffragists in Oakland, California, marched to a state political convention demanding the right to vote.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

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