exacting

adjective

ex·​act·​ing ig-ˈzak-tiŋ 

1

: tryingly or unremittingly severe in making demands

2

: requiring careful attention and precision

exactingly

ig-ˈzak-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

exactingness noun

Synonyms of exacting

• careful
• demanding
• particular
• finicky
• nice
• meticulous
• fastidious
• picky
• delicate
• finical
• persnickety
• pernickety
• fussy
• dainty
• selective
• choosy
• finicking

Choose the Right Synonym for exacting

onerous, burdensome, oppressive, exacting mean imposing hardship.

onerous stresses being laborious and heavy especially because distasteful.

the onerous task of cleaning up the mess

burdensome suggests causing mental as well as physical strain.

burdensome responsibilities

oppressive implies extreme harshness or severity in what is imposed.

the oppressive tyranny of a police state

exacting implies rigor or sternness rather than tyranny or injustice in the demands made or in the one demanding.

an exacting employer

Examples of exacting in a Sentence

He has very exacting standards.

he was shocked when his normally exacting supervisor complimented him on a job well done

Recent Examples on the Web

That meant that creditors had to follow the more exacting claim process. — Virginia Hammerle, Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026

Alex Ross dives into the œuvre of a thinker whose work was omnivorous, exacting, and hopeful. — Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 18 June 2026

But the goods are here, and Mysius is an exacting, exhilarating filmmaker who is more than ready to be leveled up. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 22 May 2026

The moral complexities of the story – based on true events – are particularly well underlined by the exacting visual style and strong performances. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of exact entry 1

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for exacting

• abstracting
• attracting
• coacting
• compacting
• contacting
• detracting
• distracting
• enacting
• extracting
• impacting
• reacting
• refracting

Kids Definition

exacting

adjective

ex·​act·​ing ig-ˈzak-tiŋ 

: making many or difficult demands upon a person

an exacting task

an exacting teacher

exactingly

-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

exactingness noun