high-maintenance
High-maintenance (adjective) means of a person, needing a great deal of attention, reassurance or effort to keep happy. Example: “He's high-maintenance: three texts a day or he assumes something is wrong.”
How to Use High-maintenance
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishNeeding a lot of looking after.
Informal; the person sense is judgemental, the object sense is neutral.
The opposite, low-maintenance, is nearly always a compliment.
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
He's _____: three texts a day or he assumes something is wrong.
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Rhymes for high-maintenance
See all rhymes for high-maintenance →Frequently Asked Questions
Is calling someone high-maintenance an insult?
Usually, though a mild one. It suggests the person is hard work and can be unfairly aimed at anyone with clear standards or needs. Many people now use it about themselves, half-jokingly, to warn others what to expect.
What is the difference between high-maintenance and demanding?
Demanding is about what someone asks of others, often with authority behind it. High-maintenance is about the ongoing effort of keeping them content, and it applies to objects and pets as readily as to people.
Is high-maintenance hyphenated?
Hyphenate it before a noun, as in a high-maintenance garden. After the verb it can go either way, though the hyphen is still very common: the garden is high-maintenance.