challenging

adjective

chal·​leng·​ing ˈcha-lən-jiŋ How to pronounce challenging (audio)
1
: arousing competitive interest, thought, or action
a challenging course of study
a challenging job
2
: invitingly provocative : fascinating
a challenging personality
challenging questions
challengingly adverb

Examples of challenging in a Sentence

I find the job challenging and fun. Teaching is challenging but rewarding work. It's a challenging book that requires careful reading. The slope was challenging for even the most experienced climbers.
Recent Examples on the Web How To Manage the Pain Chronic back pain can be challenging to treat, whether it’s caused by lung cancer or any other cause. Joy Emeh, Health, 3 July 2024 Catching even a single animal in this manner was extremely challenging. Ferris Jabr, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2024 The big difference Proton is adding when compared to Google Docs is the encryption—something that is challenging to do at scale and also harder when a document has multiple people editing it at the same time. Matt Burgess, WIRED, 3 July 2024 There is no real way to determine how many people someone has donated to, nor how many children that donation has produced, which makes regulation (and justice for those who don’t adhere to it) extremely challenging. Charlotte Lytton, TIME, 2 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for challenging 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'challenging.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see challenge entry 1

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of challenging was in 1841

Dictionary Entries Near challenging

Cite this Entry

“Challenging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/challenging. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on challenging

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