Meaning & use
self-demanding
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Setting very high standards for yourself and expecting a lot of your own performance.
Grammar: Can be used before a noun (a self-demanding person) or after a linking verb (she is self-demanding).
Patterns
- be self-demanding
- a self-demanding person
She is highly self-demanding and rarely satisfied with her work.
His self-demanding nature often leads to stress.
Being self-demanding can help you improve, but it can also be exhausting.
Word forms
| comparative | more self-demanding |
|---|---|
| superlative | most self-demanding |
Common combinations
- highly self-demanding
- He is highly self-demanding and never misses a deadline.
- a self-demanding person
- A self-demanding person often sets unrealistic goals.
- too self-demanding
- You're too self-demanding; give yourself a break.
Synonyms and how they differ
- perfectionist
- A perfectionist demands flawlessness; self-demanding is broader and can mean high effort without expecting perfection.
- hard on yourself
- This phrase means the same but is more informal and always used after 'be'.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: self-demanding or demanding?
self-demanding vs demanding
Demanding describes a task or person that requires a lot from others; self-demanding is specifically about demanding a lot from yourself.
Practice
What does 'self-demanding' mean?
Choose one answer.
Self-demanding means you set high standards for yourself. The other options are about demanding from others or are unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “self-demanding”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.