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.
“Refiners are technically capable of operating without Urals, but a rapid disengagement would be commercially challenging and politically sensitive,” according to an analysis from Kpler, a ship-tracking data provider.
Some employees said an organizational silo between Suleyman’s consumer-focused team and teams working on enterprise versions has made it challenging to achieve a unified vision.
The pledge to hit the 62-day waiting time target is being seen as particularly challenging.
From BBC
"Immense pride seeing the rocket reach 100% fuel load last night, especially knowing how challenging the scenario was for our launch team doing the dangerous and unforgiving work," said team commander Reid Wiseman on X.
From Barron's
Chief Executive Dirk Van de Put said 2025 was a dynamic and challenging environment, with cocoa cost headwinds dragging on profitability.
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.
