taxing
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of taxing
Explanation
Taxing things are stressful and difficult. Climbing a mountain is taxing, and so is spending an entire day babysitting an unruly toddler. Things that are taxing wear you out, either physically or mentally (or both). You may think of physical jobs like construction work as the most taxing kind of employment, until you realize how emotionally taxing it would be to care for sick patients as a nurse, or how mentally taxing you might find working as an accountant. This adjective comes from the verb tax, which means "to put a strain on."
Vocabulary lists containing taxing
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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 amount was small, but the principle of an outside power taxing the American colonies helped spark the American Revolution.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
Japan makes more revenue from Australian gas - by taxing imports - than Australia itself does, according to progressive public policy think tank the Australia Institute.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
Steyer said he would vote for the tax, but he agreed that state leaders ought to go further, including by taxing corporate interests more.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
It would be much less intrusive than taxing income, much less complicated, and it would be fairer.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026
Breakdancing involved extremely taxing physical work, but it was work that filled me with joy and purpose.
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
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.
