* Yes, "challenged" can be a verb, specifically the past participle of the verb "to challenge." For example:
* "The athlete was challenged by the difficult course."
* "I felt challenged by the new project."
* However, "challenged" is also frequently used as an adjective, especially in the phrase "challenged person" to refer to someone with a disability. For example:
* "The school provides resources for challenged students."
* "The organization supports the rights of challenged individuals."
It's important to pay attention to the context to determine whether "challenged" is being used as a verb or an adjective.