Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb challenge

4 senses of challenge

Sense 1
challenge, dispute, gainsay -- (take exception to; "She challenged his claims")
       => contest, contend, repugn -- (to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation; "They contested the outcome of the race")

Sense 2
challenge -- (issue a challenge to; "Fischer challenged Spassky to a match")
       => invite, bid -- (ask someone in a friendly way to do something)

Sense 3
challenge -- (ask for identification; "The illegal immigrant was challenged by the border guard")
       => request, bespeak, call for, quest -- (express the need or desire for; ask for; "She requested an extra bed in her room"; "She called for room service")

Sense 4
challenge, take exception -- (raise a formal objection in a court of law)
       => object -- (express or raise an objection or protest or criticism or express dissent; "She never objected to the amount of work her boss charged her with"; "When asked to drive the truck, she objected that she did not have a driver's license")

Antonyms of adj challenging

3 senses of challenging

Sense 1
ambitious, challenging -- (requiring full use of your abilities or resources; "ambitious schedule"; "performed the most challenging task without a mistake")

INDIRECT (VIA difficult) -> easy -- (posing no difficulty; requiring little effort; "an easy job"; "an easy problem"; "an easy victory"; "the house is easy to heat"; "satisfied with easy answers"; "took the easy way out of his dilemma")

Sense 2
challenging, thought-provoking -- (stimulating interest or thought; "a challenging hypothesis"; "a thought-provoking book")

INDIRECT (VIA stimulating) -> unstimulating, unexciting -- (not stimulating)

Sense 3
challenging, intriguing -- (disturbingly provocative; "an intriguing smile")

INDIRECT (VIA provocative) -> unprovocative, unprovoking -- (not provocative)

Similarity of adj challenging

3 senses of challenging

Sense 1
ambitious, challenging -- (requiring full use of your abilities or resources; "ambitious schedule"; "performed the most challenging task without a mistake")
       => difficult (vs. easy), hard -- (not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure; "a difficult task"; "nesting places on the cliffs are difficult of access"; "difficult times"; "why is it so hard for you to keep a secret?")

Sense 2
challenging, thought-provoking -- (stimulating interest or thought; "a challenging hypothesis"; "a thought-provoking book")
       => stimulating (vs. unstimulating) -- (rousing or quickening activity or the senses; "a stimulating discussion")

Sense 3
challenging, intriguing -- (disturbingly provocative; "an intriguing smile")
       => provocative (vs. unprovocative) -- (serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate; stimulating discussion or exciting controversy; "a provocative remark"; "a provocative smile"; "provocative Irish tunes which...compel the hearers to dance"- Anthony Trollope)