adjective

exacting

ihg-ZAK-tihng

Exacting (adjective) means demanding a lot from people; hard to satisfy. Example: “Her exacting boss checked every report line by line.”

adjective

Demanding a lot from people; hard to satisfy.

"Her exacting boss checked every report line by line."

Requiring great care, precision, or effort to do properly.

"Surgery is exacting work that leaves no room for sloppiness."

How to use exacting

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishVery demanding — of a person, job, or standard.

Common pairings

exacting standards exacting boss exacting work

more exacting comparative, most exacting superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

Her _____ boss checked every report line by line.

From exact + the suffix -ing.

fastidious

anal selective meticulous fastidious finicky

acting interacting contracting distracting

What does “exacting” mean?

The word “exacting” means demanding a lot from people; hard to satisfy. In plain terms, very demanding — of a person, job, or standard.

How do you pronounce “exacting”?

“Exacting” is pronounced ihg-ZAK-tihng (/ɪɡˈzæktɪŋ/ in IPA).

How do you use “exacting” in a sentence?

Here is “exacting” used in a sentence: “Her exacting boss checked every report line by line.”

What part of speech is “exacting”?

“Exacting” is an adjective.

How many meanings does “exacting” have?

“Exacting” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: demanding a lot from people; hard to satisfy.

anal selective meticulous fastidious finicky