# taxing

/ˈtæksɪŋ/ (US) · /tˈæksɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/taxing
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. difficult or tiring

adjective · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: physically or mentally demanding; requiring significant effort or endurance.

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

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

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

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

- Managing two full-time jobs proved to be a taxing lifestyle for the young couple.
- The new regulatory requirements imposed a taxing administrative burden on small businesses that lacked dedicated legal departments.

### 3. imposing a tax

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

For teachers: the act or process of imposing a tax on a population or on specific goods.

- The taxing of luxury goods helped the city pay for the new park.
- Economists debated whether the taxing of carbon emissions would be sufficient to drive a nationwide shift toward renewable energy sources.

## Examples

- The long climb up the mountain was very taxing.
- After a taxing day at the office, she usually prefers a quiet evening at home to recover her energy.
- The professor warned that the final exam would be particularly taxing, requiring students to synthesize complex theories from the entire semester under a strict time limit.

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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.