exacting

1 of 2

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

exacting

2 of 2

present participle of exact entry 1

Synonyms of exacting

Adjective

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

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

Adjective

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

Adjective

Every place on this list has been vetted and endorsed, again and again, by the world’s most exacting travelers. — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 23 July 2026

Loathe have always been committed to self-production (their 2017 debut is their only album that credits an outside co-producer), but A Stranger to You begs for more exacting supervision. — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 16 July 2026

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

The restoration required four years of work, during which local artisans carefully restored the frescoes and ceilings in accordance with the most exacting traditional standards. — Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 16 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of exact entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

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