high-maintenance
adjective
high-main·te·nance
ˈhī-ˈmānt-nən(t)s 
-ˈmān-tə-nən(t)s
1
: requiring a large amount of care or maintenance
The high-maintenance "Dracula" orchid constantly needs high levels of humidity and cooler temperatures.—
Victoria Colliver
Victoria ColliverThey can't even afford the high-maintenance hairdos, let alone the Adidas sweats.—Gerri Hirshey
Gerri Hirshey2
of a person
: tending to cause problems or demand attention : extremely sensitive, demanding, or temperamental
Playing the victim gets you absolutely nowhere, and it only makes you seem tiring and high-maintenance to your boss.—Cosmopolitan
CosmopolitanMatthäus is the greatest German sweeper since Beckenbauer, but he's high-maintenance. At various times in his career, he has accused a ref of taking bribes, scrapped with a teammate and, three years ago, ripped his universally beloved German teammate Jürgen Klinsmann in a tell-all book.—Jeff Bradley
Jeff BradleyExamples of high-maintenance in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Unfortunately, marble also can be high-maintenance.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 28 May 2025
Turn challenging clients into catalysts for growth Working with high-maintenance clients will never be easy.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
These tough shrub roses also don’t require a mid-season makeover or weekly trims like many high-maintenance roses, but knowing how and when to prune Knock Out roses helps keep them in top shape.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2025
In other fields, support specialists identify high-maintenance clients (for example, mechanics understand machine idiosyncrasies, and legal analysts learn which regulations require extra scrutiny).
—Rajesh Rajagopalan, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for high-maintenance
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Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 28 May 2025
Turn challenging clients into catalysts for growth Working with high-maintenance clients will never be easy.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
These tough shrub roses also don’t require a mid-season makeover or weekly trims like many high-maintenance roses, but knowing how and when to prune Knock Out roses helps keep them in top shape.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2025
In other fields, support specialists identify high-maintenance clients (for example, mechanics understand machine idiosyncrasies, and legal analysts learn which regulations require extra scrutiny).
—Rajesh Rajagopalan, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for high-maintenance
Cite this Entry
“High-maintenance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high-maintenance. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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