English Reference
adjective · noun

taxing

adj. · n.
US /ˈtæksɪŋ/ UK /tˈæksɪŋ/ tax·ing

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.describing a task that is very tiring and needs a lot of mental or physical effort.

    adj.physically or mentally demanding; requiring significant effort or endurance.

    Simple

    The long climb up the mountain was very taxing for the older hikers.

    In context

    The CEO found the three-hour interrogation by the board of directors to be mentally taxing, leaving him little energy for the evening gala.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Formal

    adj.difficult to deal with because it puts a lot of pressure on you.

    adj.burdensome or exacting in nature; often used to describe situations that strain resources or patience.

    Simple

    Managing two full-time jobs proved to be a taxing lifestyle for the young couple.

    In context

    The new regulatory requirements imposed a taxing administrative burden on small businesses that lacked dedicated legal departments.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced Technical Law

    n.the act of a government collecting money from people or businesses.

    n.the act or process of imposing a tax on a population or on specific goods.

    Simple

    The taxing of luxury goods helped the city pay for the new park.

    In context

    Economists debated whether the taxing of carbon emissions would be sufficient to drive a nationwide shift toward renewable energy sources.

    taxationlevying

They welcome a definition broad enough to take in hundreds of new planets, as taxing as that might be for children and their wallcharts.

The Guardian· 31 Aug 2026

Compare typologically Russian мыта́рство (mytárstvo) (< мы́тарь (mýtarʹ, “publican (tax collector)”)).

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

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated