demanding

UK: /dɪˈmɑːndɪŋ/ US: /dɪˈmændɪŋ/ ,(di man′ding, -män′-)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

de•mand•ing /dɪˈmændɪŋ/   adj. 

1. requiring or asking for more than is generally felt by others to be due:
   a demanding teacher.
2. calling for great, intensive effort or attention:
   He had a demanding job.

de•mand•ing•ly, adv. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

de•mand•ing  (di man′ding, -män′-), adj. 

1. requiring or claiming more than is generally felt by others to be due:
   a demanding teacher.
2. calling for intensive effort or attention;
   taxing:
   a demanding job.

• demand + -ing² 1520–30

de•mand′ing•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

demanding / dɪˈmɑːndɪŋ/ adjective

1. requiring great patience, skill, etc: a demanding job

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

de•mand /dɪˈmænd/   v. 

1. to ask for with authority;
   claim as a right: [ ~ + obj]:
   We demanded justice.
   [ ~ + to + verb]:
   I demanded to know what we had done wrong.
   [ ~ + (that) clause]:
   She demanded that we resign.
2. [ ~ + obj] to call for, need, or require as right, proper, or necessary:
   This task demands patience.

n. 

3. [countable] the act of demanding.
4. something demanded:
   [countable] There were demands for immediate pay raises.
5. a necessary thing;
   an urgent requirement:
   [countable] the conflicting demands of family and job.
6. Business the desire and means to purchase goods:
   [uncountable] Economics studies the amount of consumer demand.
7. the state of being wanted or sought for purchase or use:
   [uncountable] an article in great demand.

Idioms

8. Idioms on demand:
   • upon request or presentation for payment:
     The bill is payable on demand.
   • when requested:
     abortion on demand.

See -mand-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

de•mand  (di mand′, -mänd′), v.t. 

1. to ask for with proper authority;
   claim as a right:
   He demanded payment of the debt.
2. to ask for peremptorily or urgently:
   He demanded sanctuary. She demanded that we let her in.
3. to call for or require as just, proper, or necessary:
   This task demands patience. Justice demands objectivity.
4. Law
   • to lay formal legal claim to.
   • to summon, as to court.

v.i. 

5. to make a demand;
   inquire;
   ask.

n. 

6. the act of demanding.
7. something that is demanded.
8. an urgent or pressing requirement:
   demands upon one's time.
9. Business [Econ.]
   • the desire to purchase, coupled with the power to do so.
   • the quantity of goods that buyers will take at a particular price.
10. a requisition;
    a legal claim:
    The demands of the client could not be met.
11. the state of being wanted or sought for purchase or use:
    an article in great demand.
12. [Archaic.] inquiry;
    question.
13. Idioms on demand, upon presentation or request for payment:
    The fee is payable on demand.

• Medieval Latin dēmandāre to demand, Latin to entrust, equivalent. to dē- de- + mandāre to commission, order; see mandate
• Anglo-French demaunder
• Middle English demaunden 1250–1300

de•mand′a•ble, adj. 
de•mand′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 3. exact.
  Demand, claim, require imply making an authoritative request. To demand is to ask in a bold, authoritative way:
  to demand an explanation.
  To claim is to assert a right to something:
  He claimed it as his due.
  To require is to ask for something as being necessary; to compel:
  The Army requires absolute obedience of its soldiers.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

demand / dɪˈmɑːnd/ verb (tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive)

1. to request peremptorily or urgently
2. to require or need as just, urgent, etc: the situation demands attention
3. to claim as a right; exact
4. to make a formal legal claim to (property, esp realty)

noun

1. an urgent or peremptory requirement or request
2. something that requires special effort or sacrifice
3. the act of demanding something or the thing demanded
4. an insistent question or query
5. willingness and ability to purchase goods and services
6. the amount of a commodity that consumers are willing and able to purchase at a specified price
   Compare supply19
7. a formal legal claim, esp to real property
8. in demand ⇒ sought after; popular
9. on demand ⇒ as soon as requested

Etymology: 13th Century: from Anglo-French demaunder, from Medieval Latin dēmandāre, from Latin: to commit to, from de- + mandāre to command, entrust; see mandate

deˈmandable adjective

deˈmander noun