exhaustive

adjective

ex·​haus·​tive ig-ˈzȯ-stiv 

: including all possibilities : thorough

conducted an exhaustive search

exhaustively adverb

exhaustiveness noun

exhaustivity

ig-ˌzȯ-ˈsti-və-tē 

noun

Synonyms of exhaustive

• thorough
• extensive
• comprehensive
• complete

Examples of exhaustive in a Sentence

The list was long but not exhaustive.

after an exhaustive search of our house, we still hadn't found the cat

Recent Examples on the Web

Each photograph’s staging is meticulous, and there is an almost exhaustive attempt to interweave the agent’s narratives with the visual language of each image. — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026

Under this new pathway, only the nuclear module follows the exhaustive atomic licensing schedule, while the turbine complex proceeds under standard commercial timelines. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026

The film is an exhaustive recounting of Musk’s metastasizing role in our society. — Sheelah Kolhatkar, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026

Deadline’s list of bidders is by no means exhaustive and other interested parties may yet emerge. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1789, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

exhaustive

adjective

ex·​haus·​tive ig-ˈzȯ-stiv 

: trying all possibilities : thorough

an exhaustive search

exhaustively adverb

exhaustiveness noun