challenging

Everyday

1. hard, needing effort or skill (a challenging puzzle). tree →
2. (euphemism, jargon) bad, very difficult, troublesome: a «challenging child» = badly behaved; a «challenging year» = an awful one. tree →
3. questioning or confronting (a challenging look). tree →

In the lessons

In business, school and politics people say «challenging» instead of «bad» or «awful» to sound positive and in control; teachers say «challenging behaviour» for bad behaviour. All regions.

Examples

• This is a challenging maths problem; take your time. tree →
• The company had a challenging year (it lost a lot of money). tree →
• The class has some challenging behaviour (some pupils misbehave). tree →
• Climbing the mountain was challenging but fun. tree →
• He gave the teacher a challenging stare. tree →
• The news report called the weather «challenging»: a storm closed the roads. tree →
• Report: «Sam can find group work challenging.» tree →

Note

Trap: in reports and news it often means «bad» or «a problem». In a puzzle book it means «hard». Notice which.