exacting

adjective

ex·​act·​ing ig-ˈzak-tiŋ How to pronounce exacting (audio)
1
: tryingly or unremittingly severe in making demands
2
: requiring careful attention and precision
exactingly adverb
exactingness noun
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 Well, ladies and gentlemen, still inspired by the success of California Heat, the Food team is delighted to be back this year with more brand-new spice mixes that will surely thrill the most exacting and heat-loving of Angeleno cooks. Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2024 A lot of great cinema is made by happy accidents: certain intangible chemistries and tricks of timing that can’t be calculated even by the most exacting auteur. Guy Lodge, Variety, 2 July 2024 But the technology used to extract and identify DNA has become more exacting in 20 years. Dennis Romero, NBC News, 20 June 2024 The director, known for executing his creative vision in an exacting and onerous manner, even flew down to Delhi to visit garment warehouses with the costume designer, individually picking out ornate fabrics to dress his characters. Astha Rajvanshi, TIME, 2 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for exacting 

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

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of exact entry 1

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of exacting was in 1634

Dictionary Entries Near exacting

Cite this Entry

“Exacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exacting. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

exacting

adjective
ex·​act·​ing ig-ˈzak-tiŋ How to pronounce exacting (audio)
: making many or difficult demands upon a person
an exacting task
an exacting teacher
exactingly adverb
exactingness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on exacting

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