challenging

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
a challenging personality
challenging questions
challengingly
ˈcha-lən-jiŋ-lē How to pronounce challenging (audio)
adverb

Synonyms of challenging

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
This combination enables more precise foot placement, improved balance, and smoother movement across challenging surfaces. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026 His dreaming moved us forward, brought artists out of the shadows, rewarded us with weird, challenging, meaningful, exciting art. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Investing in breathable, water-repellent, and sun-protective clothing can make all the difference between an enjoyable hike and a challenging one. — Destinee Scott, Travel + Leisure, 3 Aug. 2026 For resort guests, the challenging 7th hole can be played from more manageable yardages using one of four sets of tees. — Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 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

Browse Nearby Words

challenger
challenging
challengingly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Challenging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/challenging. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on challenging

Nglish: Translation of challenging for Spanish Speakers

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of torpor

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All