Demanding — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /di-ˈman-diŋ/ de·mand·ing

Meaning & Definition of Demanding

Demanding (adjective)

  1. requiring much time, effort, or attention, exacting

Demanding (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. requiring much time, effort, or careful attention

    "the demanding assignment kept them working all night long"

    similar: arduous, burdensome, challenging, exacting, grueling, killing, laborious, onerous, persnickety, taxing, toilsome
    related: difficult, formidable, hard, herculean, rough, rugged, stiff, strenuous, testing, tough, oppressive, trying, rigid, rigorous, severe, stern, strict, stringent
    opposite: light, nondemanding, unchallenging, undemanding
    near: easy, effortless, facile, simple, smooth

  2. hard to please

    "will play before a demanding audience of music critics, who are not easily impressed"

    similar: choosy, dainty, delicate, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicking, finicky, fussbudgety, fussy, nice, old-maidish, particular, pernickety (chiefly British), persnickety, picky
    related: hyperfastidious, overdemanding, ultrafastidious, discerning, discriminating, selective, insightful, knowledgeable, captious, carping, caviling, critical, faultfinding, hypercritical, overcritical, careful, meticulous, painstaking, punctilious, scrupulous, queasy, squeamish, peevish, petulant, prickly, touchy, niminy-piminy, prim, prissy
    opposite: undemanding, unfastidious, unfussy
    near: affable, breezy, carefree, devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky, lackadaisical, laid-back, low-pressure, relaxed, flexible, lax, loose, lenient, permissive, uncritical, indiscriminating, undiscriminating

  3. requiring considerable physical or mental effort

    "the demanding task of reading and grading student compositions"

    similar: arduous, Augean, backbreaking, challenging, difficult, effortful, exacting, formidable, grueling, hard, heavy, hellacious, herculean, killer, laborious, moiling, murderous, pick-and-shovel, rigorous, rough, rugged, severe, stiff, strenuous, sweaty, tall, testing, toilsome, tough, uphill
    related: abstract, abstruse, complex, complicated, elusive, hairy, insoluble, intricate, involved, knotty, opaque, problematic, recondite, serious, spiny, stubborn, thorny, ticklish, tricky, bruising, burdensome, exhausting, labored, onerous, oppressive, stressful, taxing, tight, trying, annoying, bothersome, distressing, irksome, troublesome, vexatious, grievous, grim, strict, stringent, brutal, cruel, inhuman, painful
    opposite: cheap, easy, effortless, facile, light, mindless, simple, soft, undemanding
    near: achievable, clear, doable, elementary, manageable, uncomplicated, comforting, gentle, painless, relaxed, smooth, soothing, accessible, friendly, idiotproof, user-friendly

Demanding (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to ask for (something) earnestly or with authority

    "the losing party demanded a recount of the votes cast in the election"

    similar: calling (for), claiming, clamoring (for), commanding, enjoining, exacting, insisting (on), pressing (for), questing, stipulating (for)
    related: asking, pleading (for), requesting, wanting, crying (for), necessitating, needing, requiring, taking, warranting, requisitioning, imposing, badgering, dunning, harassing, hounding
    near: giving up, relinquishing, surrendering, yielding

  2. to have as a requirement

    "a task that demands one's unremitting attention"

    similar: bearing, challenging, claiming, necessitating, needing, requiring, taking, wanting, warranting, calling for
    related: entailing, involving, asking, begging, clamoring (for), crying (for), hurting (for), lacking, commanding, enjoining, exacting, insisting, pressing, questing, stipulating
    opposite: having, holding
    near: owning, possessing

  3. to set or receive as a price

    "superstars of the big screen who demand millions for appearing in a movie"

    similar: asking, charging, commanding
    related: overcharging, undercharging, bringing, fetching, selling (for), discounting, marking down, marking up, assessing, billing, invoicing, pricing, valuing

Related Entry: Demand (verb)

Demand is a different word from Demanding. The synonyms below are for demand, not for demanding.

  1. to ask for (something) earnestly or with authority

    "the losing party demanded a recount of the votes cast in the election"

    similar: call (for), claim, clamor (for), command, enjoin, exact, insist (on), press (for), quest, stipulate (for)
    related: ask, plead (for), request, want, cry (for), necessitate, need, require, take, warrant, requisition, impose, badger, dun, harass, hound
    near: give up, relinquish, surrender, yield

  2. to have as a requirement

    "a task that demands one's unremitting attention"

    similar: bear, challenge, claim, necessitate, need, require, take, want, warrant, call for
    related: entail, involve, ask, beg, clamor (for), cry (for), hurt (for), lack, command, enjoin, exact, insist, press, quest, stipulate
    opposite: have, hold
    near: own, possess

  3. to set or receive as a price

    "superstars of the big screen who demand millions for appearing in a movie"

    similar: ask, charge, command
    related: overcharge, undercharge, bring, fetch, sell (for), discount, mark down, mark up, assess, bill, invoice, price, value

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Demanding

The most common words with a similar meaning to Demanding:

Chiefly British: pernickety
arduous, burdensome, challenging, exacting, grueling, killing, laborious, onerous, persnickety, taxing, toilsome, choosy, dainty, delicate, fastidious, finical, finicking, finicky, fussbudgety, fussy, nice, old-maidish, particular, picky, Augean, backbreaking, difficult, effortful, formidable, hard, heavy, hellacious, herculean, killer, moiling, murderous, pick-and-shovel, rigorous, rough, rugged

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Demanding

Words with the opposite meaning of Demanding:

light, nondemanding, unchallenging, undemanding, unfastidious, unfussy, cheap, easy, effortless, facile, mindless, simple, soft, having, holding

Related Words for Demanding

oppressive, trying, rigid, stern, strict, stringent, hyperfastidious, overdemanding, ultrafastidious, discerning, discriminating, selective, insightful, knowledgeable, captious, carping, caviling, critical, faultfinding, hypercritical, overcritical, careful, meticulous, painstaking, punctilious, scrupulous, queasy, squeamish, peevish, petulant

Near Antonyms of Demanding

smooth, affable, breezy, carefree, devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky, lackadaisical, laid-back, low-pressure, relaxed, flexible, lax, loose, lenient, permissive, uncritical, indiscriminating, undiscriminating, achievable, clear, doable, elementary, manageable, uncomplicated, comforting, gentle, painless, soothing, accessible, friendly

Word Forms of Demanding

Derived words: demandingly (adverb), demandingness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Demanding

from present participle of demand:2

First known use: 1926

Frequently Asked Questions about Demanding

What does "Demanding" mean?

"Demanding" means requiring much time, effort, or attention, exacting. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: requiring much time, effort, or attention, exacting. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Demanding"?

Other words for "Demanding" include arduous, burdensome, challenging, exacting, grueling, killing, laborious and onerous. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Demanding" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Demanding"?

There are 169 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Demanding". Common alternatives include arduous, burdensome, challenging, exacting, grueling, killing, laborious, onerous, persnickety and taxing.

What is the opposite of "Demanding"?

Antonyms of "Demanding" include light, nondemanding, unchallenging, undemanding, unfastidious, unfussy, cheap and easy. Near antonyms include smooth, affable, breezy and carefree.

How do you use "Demanding" in a sentence?

Examples of "Demanding" in a sentence: "the demanding assignment kept them working all night long"; "will play before a demanding audience of music critics, who are not easily impressed"; "the demanding task of reading and grading student compositions".

Is "Demanding" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Demanding" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Demanding"?

"Demanding" is pronounced /di-ˈman-diŋ/ and divided into syllables as de·mand·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Demanding"?

"Demanding" comes from from present participle of demand:2. First known use: 1926.