Showing results for "taxing"

• present participle of tax.

taxing

American  

[tak-sing] / ˈtæk sɪŋ /

adjective

1. wearingly burdensome.

   the day-to-day, taxing duties of a supervisor.

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taxing British  

/ ˈtæksɪŋ /

adjective

1. demanding, onerous, and wearing

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Other Word Forms

• untaxing
  adjective
• taxingly
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of taxing

First recorded in 1790–1800; tax + -ing ²

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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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

taxing

This treatment clears space in the bone marrow for the incoming cells, but it can be extremely taxing, particularly for older or medically frail patients.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026

The harsh environment of Burning Man — which for some people is part of the appeal — is famously taxing.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

“Elsinore” captures that journey in all of its glories and taxing challenges.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

"The whole point of being rich is you can live wherever you want," said Pearl, a chair of Patriotic Millionaires, a group of wealthy Americans who advocate for taxing the rich.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

It was not just science that made this new world, it was also the state, which was busy taxing citizens, borrowing money and putting armies in the field.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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Related Words

• demanding
• disturbing
• onerous
• stressful
• tedious
• troublesome
• trying

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