exacting

[ig-zak-ting]

adjective

1. rigid or severe in demands or requirements.

   an exacting teacher.

2. requiring close application or attention.

   an exacting task.

3. given to or characterized by exaction; extortionate.

exacting

/ ɪɡˈzæktɪŋ /

adjective

1. making rigorous or excessive demands

   an exacting job

Other Word Forms

• exactingly adverb
• exactingness noun
• nonexacting adjective
• nonexactingly adverb
• nonexactingness noun
• overexacting adjective
• superexacting adjective
• unexacting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of exacting¹

First recorded in 1575–85; exact + -ing ²

Example Sentences

But after exacting revenge on Armenia, Parrott inspired them to famous wins over Portugal and Hungary to keep alive their dream of ending a 24-year wait for World Cup football.

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In the meantime, Park is celebrating a milestone in his culinary instruction journey, having finally delivered a dish that meets Master Heo’s exacting standards.

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It may be contentious, but it is also the action of someone increasingly comfortable in his own skin in this exacting job.

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The iconic chef represented the type of presenter Burrell was drawn to: exuberant, exacting, joyful in her pedagogy.

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In South Korea too, a rising number of young people have been voluntarily cutting themselves off from a highly competitive and exacting society.

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Related Words

• harsh 
• imperious 
• onerous 
• painstaking 
• precise 
• rigid 
• rigorous 
• strict 
• stringent