challenging

[ chal-in-jing ]

adjective

1. offering a challenge; testing one's ability, endurance, etc:

   a challenging course;

   a challenging game.

2. stimulating, interesting, and thought-provoking:

   a challenging suggestion.

3. provocative; intriguing:

   a challenging smile.

ˈchallenging

/ ˈtʃælɪndʒɪŋ /

adjective

1. demanding or stimulating

   a challenging new job

Other Words From

• challeng·ing·ly adverb
• non·challeng·ing adjective
• un·challeng·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of challenging¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, as a gerund; 1835–45 for sense of "testing one's ability"; challenge ( def ), -ing ²( def )

Example Sentences

O'Neill said that it's a "challenging situation" and the the executive does not want workers to go on strike.

From BBC

The panel heard that Ms Robinson had worked as a mental health nurse at the hospital, which provided in-patient care for men with complex and challenging mental health conditions.

From BBC

All this work is certainly challenging.

From Los Angeles Times

This is where Macklin and other counterterrorism experts warn the United States could be headed: The harsher and more challenging the environment gets and the more destructive and expensive the impacts become, the more climate change may be seized as the dominion of the right.

From Salon

Since the beginning of the bull market in late 2022, the market has grown 70%, meaning many stocks are now trading at premiums, which could make further growth in its third year more challenging, he added.

From Salon

Related Words

• ambitious
• arduous
• burdensome
• challenging
• crucial
• demanding
• laborious
• onerous
• painful
• problematic
• severe
• strenuous
• tough
• troublesome