anstrengende

Anstrengende is a German adjective meaning strenuous, exhausting, or demanding. It is formed from the verb anstrengen (to strain or exert) with the suffix -end, which yields a present-participle style meaning. The form is used to describe tasks, situations, or experiences that require significant effort.

In attributive position, anstrengende agrees with the noun it modifies. Examples include feminine singular: eine anstrengende Aufgabe; masculine singular: ein anstrengender Tag; neuter singular: ein anstrengendes Training. In plural, it appears as anstrengende Aufgaben (no article) or die anstrengenden Aufgaben with a definite article. In predicative position, the adjective typically appears as anstrengend: Die Aufgabe ist anstrengend.

Anstrengende is commonly used to describe physical or mental workload, travel, or periods of time such as weeks or days. For instance, Eine anstrengende Woche can convey a week filled with effort and fatigue. The term often implies a subjective element, since what is strenuous for one person may be manageable for another.

In occasional or specialized usage, anstrengende can be used as a noun in plural form die Anstrengenden, referring to people who exert themselves or are deemed taxing in behavior. This noun usage is less common in everyday speech but may appear in written or headline language.

Synonyms capture related nuances, including belastend (burdensome), fordernd (demanding), mühsam (laborious), and ermüdend (tedious). The noun Anstrengung, meaning effort or exertion, is closely related and frequently appears in discussions of exertion and fatigue.

See also: Anstrengung, anstrengend. English equivalents include strenuous, exhausting, taxing, and arduous.