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

The case for the Okefenokee’s inclusion on the World Heritage List is laid out in an exhaustive, 266-page dossier. — Drew Kann, AJC.com, 20 July 2026

For the past decade, Tuck has worked on the Pompeii Survivors Project, an exhaustive search for those who managed to flee before Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum were destroyed. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 July 2026

Backers of the proposal maintain an exhaustive CEQA review isn’t necessary at this time, partly because the building’s exterior wouldn’t be altered. — George Avalos, Mercury News, 20 July 2026

Some have been coming here since the 2010 World Cup, and their steady presence and exhaustive supplies of duplicates have established this as the place to go. — Maria Jose Gutierrez-Chavez, Curbed, 17 July 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