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

Upon downloading the app and creating an account, I was asked to select four starter animals from an exhaustive list. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

Despite exhaustive testing, experts could not figure out exactly why Jackie was so ill. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Julia Priolli, Head of Creative for Brazilian Originals at Amazon MGM Studios, says Versos rose to the top after an exhaustive search to find the film’s title star. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026

In This Article Deep cleaning your oven can be an exhaustive, daunting task that, let’s face it, no one really wants to do. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 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