high-maintenance

adjective

Requiring a high degree of maintenance to ensure proper functioning, and without which it is likely to break down.

“He has this incredibly high-maintenance girlfriend; if he doesn't tell her that he loves her every five minutes, she tends to break down into hysterical depressive weepy fits.”

Opposite
low-maintenance
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Meanings

adjectivehigh-maintenance (comparative more high-maintenance, superlative most high-maintenance)

comparative more high-maintenance · superlative most high-maintenance

  1. Requiring a high degree of maintenance to ensure proper functioning, and without which it is likely to break down.
  2. derogatoryfigurativelyRequiring a lot of attention or reassurance; emotionally needy

    He has this incredibly high-maintenance girlfriend; if he doesn't tell her that he loves her every five minutes, she tends to break down into hysterical depressive weepy fits.

    1 more example

    There are two kinds of women: high maintenance and low maintenance.

    1989, Nora Ephron, When Harry Met Sally... (motion picture), spoken by Harry Burns (Billy Crystal)

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
low-maintenance

Origin

According to the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, the figurative sense was popularized by the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally....

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Hungarian sok törődést igénylő, sok odafigyelést/törődést igénylő
  • sok törődést igénylőrequiring a high degree of maintenance to ensure proper functioning, and without which it is likely to break down
  • sok odafigyelést/törődést igénylő(of a person) requiring a lot of attention or reassurance; emotionally needy
Russian тре́бующий постоя́нного ухо́да
  • тре́бующий постоя́нного ухо́да (trébujuščij postojánnovo uxóda)requiring a high degree of maintenance to ensure proper functioning, and without which it is likely to break down
Cite this entry
APA

high-maintenance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/high-maintenance

MLA

“high-maintenance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/high-maintenance. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “high-maintenance,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/high-maintenance.

Source: high-maintenance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.