How to Use high-maintenance in a Sentence

high-maintenance

adjective
  • Leather may seem high-maintenance for a pair of hiking boots, but that’s not the case.
    — Lauren Mazzo, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2024
  • If that sounds too high-maintenance, Mena says that's cool too.
    — Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 13 Feb. 2024
  • One friend was a very high-maintenance stranger (to me) who now shows up on all of my photos from our vacation to Yosemite.
    — Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 6 May 2023
  • Her one friend was a very high-maintenance stranger (to me) who now shows up on all of my photos from our vacation to Yosemite.
    — Amy Dickinson, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2023
  • While a houseplant can purify your air and bring life to your home décor, some of us don't have time for a high-maintenance plant.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 4 Dec. 2023
  • On the other hand, silverware has a classic look and feel but is more costly and high-maintenance.
    — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 May 2023
  • Elise Taylor The worst houseguests are high-maintenance.
    — George Gurley, New York Times, 21 June 2024
  • Unfairly, the bob has acquired a bad rap as a high-maintenance hairstyle.
    — Fiorella Valdesolo, WSJ, 18 Feb. 2023
  • The shift from high-maintenance colors to simple cuts and styles can largely be attributed to the high value placed on hair health in recent years.
    — Ariana Quihuiz, People.com, 22 Feb. 2025
  • If wear and tear is an issue, avoid high-maintenance fabrics like silk or linen and opt for microfibers, textured fabric or leather.
    — Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 June 2023
  • In the aftermath of high-maintenance hair color trends like money piece highlights, a return to simpler hair looks makes sense.
    — Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 26 Dec. 2023
  • Say goodbye to your high-maintenance litter pan and invest in the Litter-Robot 4 today.
    — Bridget Degnan, Peoplemag, 7 Sep. 2024
  • Prairie Moon also sells Eco-Grass, a low-maintenance lawn seed mix that’s an alternative to thirsty, high-maintenance turf grass.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Jan. 2024
  • First, it should be stated upfront that while playful, copper (even muted) is a high-maintenance hair color.
    — Megan Decker, refinery29.com, 12 Apr. 2024
  • With shorter dos there’s usually less upkeep, while longer locks are often more high-maintenance.
    — Popular Science, 13 Sep. 2023
  • The color still feels decidedly brunette thanks to her roots and base color, but the lightness of the highlights gives it lots of dimension — without the high-maintenance commitment.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 18 Dec. 2023
  • While the Dalmatian down the street might prefer an elevated mat, maybe your high-maintenance labrador is all about an orthopedic bed.
    — Megan Schaltegger, Peoplemag, 25 Oct. 2023
  • The beautiful, delicate flowers are high-maintenance and need a bit of attention.
    — Michelle Love, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 May 2023
  • This set is machine washable — no high-maintenance care instructions.
    — Lexie Sachs, Good Housekeeping, 14 Mar. 2023
  • Ease of Cleaning: Humidifiers are high-maintenance machines that must be cleaned regularly (think two times a week).
    — Laura Lu, Ms, Parents, 15 July 2024
  • The high-maintenance youngsters grow on you, especially Noah Galvin as the scene-stealing production manager.
    — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 13 July 2023
  • People didn’t want silver flatware, which was expensive, high-maintenance, and formal.
    — Alexandra Lange, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2023
  • Bell recommends utilizing two to three different species of plants, to avoid creating a stressful, high-maintenance space, and sticking to a simple color palette.
    — Ariel Okin, Vogue, 18 July 2024
  • This dog that normally put the high in high-maintenance abruptly reinvented himself as a wholly different animal.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
  • Naturally, this doesn’t fly with his high-maintenance superior, who has grand plans for world domination.
    — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2023
  • For now, the Montecito estate’s property title remains in Westcott’s name, though the high-maintenance estate has reportedly been left vacant as the three-plus-year legal battle unfolded.
    — James McClain, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2023
  • Other readers spoke of lives crammed with tedious complications, from high-maintenance people to useless possessions.
    — Dan White, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024
  • Everyone knows California is disaster-prone, but there’s a familiar logic to the calamitous geography in this high-maintenance beauty of a state.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
  • Slouchy, yet structured, Bündchen’s pants (also Brunello Cucinelli) look put-together without looking too high-maintenance.
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2023
  • With Anna’s outsider status, high-maintenance accent, and adamant refusal to be a victim, Franciosi carefully crafts a performance that never descends into silliness.
    — Odie Henderson, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'high-maintenance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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