high-maintenance

[ hahy--meyn-tuh-nuhns ]

adjective

1. needing frequent or major maintenance or repair:

   Imported sports cars are high-maintenance.

2. Informal. (of a person) demanding a great deal of attention, money, or effort:

   His high-maintenance girlfriend refuses to get engaged without a big diamond ring.

high-maintenance

adjective

1. (of a piece of equipment, motor vehicle, etc) requiring regular maintenance to keep it in working order
2. informal.
   (of a person) requiring a high level of care and attention; demanding

Word History and Origins

Origin of high-maintenance¹

First recorded in 1915–20 high-maintenance fordef 1; 1980–85 high-maintenance fordef 2; high ( def ) + maintenance ( def )

Example Sentences

"People see me in photographs surrounded by pretty models and think that I am a snobbish, high-maintenance designer who is about beauty and hedonism. When they meet me, they realise how fake that perception is," he told Vasudev.

From BBC

Maybe it’s the latest thing to join a growing list of procedures and treatments that propose being high-maintenance in order to be low-maintenance.

From Slate

High-maintenance cows like Viatina-19 aren’t profitable on a large, commercial scale because they couldn’t meet their energy needs from grass alone, said P.J.

From Seattle Times

High-maintenance cows like Viatina-19 aren’t profitable on a commercial scale because they couldn’t meet their energy needs from grass alone, said P.J.

From Seattle Times

But also one prone to high strikeout totals and extended slumps, especially when his “high-maintenance” swing, as Roberts has often called it, would get out of whack.

From Los Angeles Times