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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The company continues to focus on expanding its distribution business and broadening its product range, despite the challenging economic environment. Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024 The digital detox journey can be challenging, but many people discover it to be rewarding in the end. Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2024 Difficult to catch but not impossible Identifying ex-contractual terms is challenging; just look at the fraud by former Sacramento Kings Chief Revenue Officer, Jeffrey David. Jesse Silvertown, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 The more challenging question to address, however, is how many USC fans will be there to see that come to fruition? Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for challenging 

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 30 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on challenging

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!