What does "High Maintenance" mean?

Requires lots of attention Demands time, energy, or resources.

High Maintenance

Slang Term AmericanBritishAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Casual

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Meaning: Requires lots of attention

需要大量关注的

Requiere mucha atención

手がかかる、注目を多く必要とする

손이 많이 가는, 관심을 많이 필요로 하는

Demands time, energy, or resources.

需要很多时间、精力或资源。

Exige tiempo, energía o recursos.

時間、エネルギー、またはリソースを要求する。

시간, 에너지, 또는 자원을 많이 요구하는.

Examples

A bit high maintenance.
有点难伺候
un poco exigente
ちょっと手がかかる
좀 손이 많이 가는 편이야.

Pronunciation

/haɪ ˈmeɪntənəns/

Usage Guide

Context: relationships

Tone: critical

✓ Do Say

She's high maintenance
她很难伺候
es muy exigente
彼女は手がかかる
그녀는 손이 많이 가는 사람이야

✗ Don't Say

Usually critical
通常是批评的意味
Normalmente crítico
通常は批判的な意味
보통 비판적인 뉘앙스

Common Mistakes

From mechanical maintenance

Origin & History

From machinery maintenance.

Cultural Context

Era: 1980s onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: When Harry Met Sally

Regional notes: American origin.

Variations

High maintenance