(ちょうせんてき)

ちょうせんてき
na-adjective
challenging; provocative; defiant
evaluationpersonality
1. challenging; ambitious
Describing an attitude, project, or goal that pushes boundaries and embraces difficulty.
挑戦的(ちょうせんてき)目標(もくひょう)()てた
I set a challenging goal.
This project has very ambitious content.
(わか)研究者(けんきゅうしゃ)たち挑戦的(ちょうせんてき)テーマ()()んでいる
Young researchers are tackling challenging themes.
2. provocative; defiant; confrontational
Describing behavior, a look, or an attitude that deliberately provokes or challenges someone.
挑戦的(ちょうせんてき)態度(たいど)()
To take a defiant attitude.
(かれ)挑戦的(ちょうせんてき)()つきこちら()
He looked at us with a provocative gaze.
記者会見(きしゃかいけん)挑戦的(ちょうせんてき)発言(はつげん)して物議(ぶつぎ)(かも)した
A provocative remark at the press conference stirred controversy.

A na-adjective formed from 挑戦(ちょうせん) (challenge) plus (てき). The two senses reflect the dual nature of 挑戦(ちょうせん) itself — it can mean undertaking a difficult challenge (positive) or confronting someone aggressively (negative).

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 意欲的(いよくてき): ambitious; motivated — positive connotation only, without the provocative nuance
  • 攻撃的(こうげきてき): aggressive; offensive — stronger hostility than the confrontational sense of 挑戦的(ちょうせんてき)
  • 野心的(やしんてき): ambitious — focuses on aspiration and grand scale rather than difficulty