English Reference
adjective

demanding

adj.
US /dɪˈmændɪŋ/ UK /dɪmˈɑːndɪŋ/ de·mand·ing

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    needing a lot of your time, energy, or patience.

    requiring significant endurance, physical strength, or mental focus to complete successfully.

    Simple

    Being a nurse is a very demanding job because you are on your feet all day.

    In context

    The mountain climb was physically demanding, requiring the team to maintain a steady pace despite the thinning air and steep terrain.

    Usage

    Often used to describe jobs, schedules, or physical activities.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    expecting a lot from other people and being hard to please.

    setting extremely high standards for quality or performance; difficult to satisfy due to rigorous expectations.

    Simple

    The chef is very demanding and expects every plate of food to look perfect.

    In context

    The client was notoriously demanding, frequently requesting last-minute revisions that challenged the design team's creative limits.

    Usage

    Commonly describes bosses, customers, or parents.

    easy goingflexible

Usage demanding answers

More than a month later, though, Wells’ family is still demanding answers.

The Guardian· 14 Aug 2026

The union is demanding various measures to reduce workload, summarised as seven key demands .

The Guardian· 11 Aug 2026

From demand + -ing.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated