- present participle of tax.
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.
Taxing buildings and land together at the same rate discourages precisely the activity cities most need, namely new construction and redevelopment.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
JB Pardiwala, one of the two judges, wrote: "Taxing an income arising out of its own country is an inherent sovereign right. Any dilution of this is a threat to a nation's long-term interest."
From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026
Taxing selected UPFs could help support subsidies for healthier options, particularly for low-income households.
From Science Daily • Nov. 24, 2025
Taxing vast fortunes that exist largely on paper could also pose significant logistical challenges.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025
Taxing beards followed, and the amount was graduated according to the condition of the person wearing this hirsute adornment.
From At the Sign of the Barber's Pole Studies In Hirsute History by Andrews, William
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.
