- present participle of challenge.
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
Etymology
Origin of challenging
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, as a gerund; 1835–45 for sense of "testing one's ability"; see challenge ( def. ), -ing 2 ( def. )
Explanation
If something is challenging, you better bring your "A game." It isn't going to be easy but you will get to test your skills as you push yourself, like completing a challenging crossword puzzle or a challenging hike up a mountain. Another meaning of challenging is "causing to question values or assumptions," like a challenging movie that makes you re-evaluate your attitude about something. In other words, it challenges what you believe. People sometimes use challenging as a polite — and far more positive — substitute for troublesome or problematic, as in, "This challenging situation will require everyone's patience."
Vocabulary lists containing challenging
Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 11-20
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Towers Falling
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Persuasive and Assertive Tones
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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.
The problem predates recent federal cuts challenging higher education, he said, emphasizing a decline in public trust in universities and affirming that USC is well placed to address it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
A residents' appeal challenging the court ruling that upheld the commission's decision is scheduled for Friday in Belfast.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Some of that may have to do with lifestyle choices of younger workers who want to work for themselves; some of it may be a response to “a more challenging job market.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
Gen Z women are "leading the charge in challenging gendered DIY stereotypes", according to a 2024 report by B&Q.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
Widespread preoccupation with litigation, however, is not the only—or even the main—reason civil rights groups have shied away from challenging the new caste system.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
