challenging

1 of 2

adjective

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

challenging

2 of 2

present participle of challenge entry 1

Synonyms of challenging

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Adjective

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Examples of challenging in a Sentence

Adjective 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.
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Adjective
Since February, Maya has undergone five surgeries, including receiving a prosthetic skull, Gebala said in the post, which listed challenging and hopeful milestones over the past 262 days. — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026 For Huelsman, fulfilling data requests is especially challenging because Elevate Textiles operates across 17 countries, which means dealing with a diverse array of supply chain partners with their own regional practices. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026 Building similar performance onto photonic chips, which guide light through microscopic structures, has proved particularly challenging at blue wavelengths because even tiny manufacturing imperfections can scatter light and degrade performance. — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026 The first few years in Tinseltown proved challenging, as Best was one of thousands who came to the city with the same goals. — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for challenging

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see challenge entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of challenging was in 1841

Browse Nearby Words

challenger
challenging
challengingly
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Cite this Entry

“Challenging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/challenging. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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