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 official cause of death was exposure to winter cold, and despite an exhaustive investigation and widespread media attention, the case remains one of the Chicago area’s most notorious unsolved mysteries. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026

Our Awards Editor Marcus Jones joins co-hosts Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio for an exhaustive (but hardly exhausting) rundown of the drama, comedy, and limited series categories. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 July 2026

Six adults and a child were rescued from the water, but three children recovered from the lake after an intensive search were unresponsive to exhaustive lifesaving measures administered as soon as they were found, police said. — Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026

Raymond said on Friday that an exhaustive review of video surveillance footage from the days leading up to the explosion allegedly captured Berezovk making several reconnaissance visits to the building. — Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 3 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