challenging
Americanadjective
-
offering a challenge; testing one's ability, endurance, etc.
a challenging course;
a challenging game.
-
stimulating, interesting, and thought-provoking.
a challenging suggestion.
-
provocative; intriguing.
a challenging smile.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- challengingly adverb
- nonchallenging adjective
- unchallenging adjective
Etymology
Origin of challenging
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As he continues to dive into different mediums, Cudi says the mission remains the same: to continue evolving, challenging himself artistically and inspiring people along the way.
From Los Angeles Times
Creating the hardware for Artemis has been challenging.
Berkeley Group BKG -8.27%decrease; red down pointing triangle said it would pause making any new land acquisitions due to the challenging market backdrop and geopolitical volatility.
Understanding how these different forms are related has been challenging.
From Science Daily
Leigh syndrome affects about one in 36,000 children, making research especially challenging.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
