Something taxing takes a lot out of you — a lot of effort, energy, patience or attention. A taxing journey, a taxing exam, a taxing day at work, a taxing conversation with a difficult relative.

Something taxing takes a lot out of youtaxing 的東西會從你身上榨走很多東西 — a lot of effort, energy, patience or attention很多力氣、精神、耐心或注意力。A taxing journey, a taxing exam, a taxing day at work, a taxing conversation with a difficult relative像是很累人的旅程、很累人的考試、很累人的上班日，或跟難搞的親戚講話很累人。

Notice the flavour: it does not mean simply difficult in the way a hard sum is difficult. It means draining. The thing pulls energy out of you the way a tax pulls money out of your pocket — and that really is where the meaning comes from, the picture of a demand being made on your reserves until they run low.

Notice the flavour要注意這個字的味道：it does not mean simply difficult它不是單純指困難 in the way a hard sum is difficult像難的數學題那種困難。It means draining它的意思是耗損人。The thing pulls energy out of you那個東西會把你的精力抽走，the way a tax pulls money out of your pocket就像稅金把錢從你口袋抽走一樣 — and that really is where the meaning comes from而這正是這個字意思的由來，the picture of a demand being made on your reserves until they run low就是不斷向你的存底提出要求，直到快用完的畫面。

So it works best for things that go on for a while: the marathon, the week of care, the long meeting.

So it works best for things that go on for a while所以這個字最適合用在持續一段時間的事情上：the marathon像馬拉松，the week of care一整週的照顧，the long meeting或很長的會議。

It is a slightly formal, rather British-sounding word, common in writing and in careful speech. You will also hear it used with an odd politeness, in the negative, to reassure someone: 'It's not a taxing job' — meaning don't worry, it won't wear you out.

It is a slightly formal, rather British-sounding word這是個有點正式、聽起來滿英式的字，common in writing and in careful speech在寫作和講究的口語裡很常見。You will also hear it used with an odd politeness你也會聽到它用一種帶點客氣的方式，in the negative用否定句，to reassure someone來安撫別人：'It's not a taxing job'像是「這不是個 taxing（吃力）的工作」 — meaning don't worry, it won't wear you out意思是別擔心，不會把你累垮。

It is used both before a noun (a taxing schedule) and after a linking verb (the trip was taxing).

It is used both before a noun這個字可以放在名詞前面 (a taxing schedule像 a taxing schedule／吃力的行程) and after a linking verb也可以放在連綴動詞後面 (the trip was taxing像 the trip was taxing／這趟旅程很累人)。