Meaning & use
more challenging
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“more challenging” is a form of “challenging”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
harder to do or deal with than something else; requiring more effort or skill.
Grammar: Comparative adjective: use 'more challenging than' to compare two things.
Patterns
- more challenging than something
- make something more challenging
- find something more challenging
This exam is more challenging than the last one.
Learning a new language becomes more challenging as you get older.
The second half of the course is more challenging than the first.
Word forms
| base form | challenging |
|---|---|
| superlative | most challenging |
Common combinations
- more challenging than expected
- The project turned out to be more challenging than expected.
- far more challenging
- Online teaching is far more challenging than classroom teaching.
- make something more challenging
- A lack of resources makes the job more challenging.
- find something more challenging
- Many students find physics more challenging than chemistry.
Synonyms and how they differ
- harder
- Harder is more informal and direct; more challenging sounds more positive and less negative.
- tougher
- Tougher is informal and can suggest more physical or emotional difficulty.
- more demanding
- More demanding focuses on the amount of effort or time required, not just difficulty.
Opposites
Word family
- challenge noun
- a difficult task or situation.
- challenge verb
- to question whether something is right or to invite someone to compete.
- challenging adjective
- difficult in an interesting or rewarding way.
Commonly confused: more challenging or challenged?
more challenging vs challenged
Challenged is the past tense of the verb 'challenge' or an adjective meaning 'facing difficulties', not the comparative form.
Practice
This puzzle is ______ than the one we did yesterday.
Choose one answer.
We need the comparative form 'more challenging' because we are comparing two puzzles. 'Most challenging' is superlative, 'challenginger' is not a word, and 'more challenge' uses a noun instead of an adjective.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “more challenging”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.