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

Rigorous, exhaustive testing of all tracks, signaling systems, and vehicles is the standard industry practice for major airport transit infrastructure to guarantee seamless long-term system integration. —Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026

The list of top-of-the-range technologies here, capable of forecasting every facet of life, is exhaustive, stopping just short of a machine that can predict winning lottery numbers. —Susan D'arcy, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 June 2026

The incomparable Sam Vecenie went to town again this year with his exhaustive list of 100 potential draftees and two-way players, along with video. —David Aldridge, New York Times, 21 June 2026

Let’s really make this as exhaustive as possible. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 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