- present participle of reward.
rewarding
Americanadjective
-
affording satisfaction, valuable experience, or the like; worthwhile.
-
affording financial or material gain; profitable.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rewarding
Explanation
Things that satisfy you or make you happy are rewarding. Even if you love to learn, the most rewarding part of going to school for many of us is making good friends. The word reward is obvious when you look at the adjective rewarding, and rewarding things do give you a kind of reward. Rather than cash for finding a neighbor's lost cat, though, the reward you get from something rewarding is pleasure or satisfaction. Watching a great movie is rewarding, and so is doing something kind for another person. You might even get lucky and have a rewarding career, or even a rewarding life.
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.
Filippenko added, "To see a clear effect of Einstein's general theory of relativity is always exciting, but seeing it for the first time in a supernova is especially rewarding."
From Science Daily • Jul. 6, 2026
Ruto said the compensation was not a "price for life, pain or loss" and should not be seen as rewarding violence or criminality.
From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026
"Some of the most rewarding careers in esports exist away from the actual games".
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026
As with many new issues, patience after the first few weeks often proves rewarding, as the initial enthusiasm and forced flows subside and a more durable trend begins to take shape.
From Barron's • Jun. 13, 2026
Volpe finds him especially rewarding, the kind of student who gives constant feedback—affirmation that as a teacher or director, he is getting through.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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.
