# demanding

/dɪˈmændɪŋ/ (US) · /dɪmˈɑːndɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/demanding
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. requiring effort

adjective · CEFR B2

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

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

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

adjective · CEFR B2

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

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

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

## Examples

- My new boss is very demanding and expects perfection.
- The medical degree is incredibly demanding, requiring students to study for twelve hours every day.
- While the client was notoriously demanding, the design team found that his high standards ultimately pushed them to produce their most innovative work to date.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.