exacting
Americanadjective
-
rigid or severe in demands or requirements.
an exacting teacher.
-
requiring close application or attention.
an exacting task.
-
given to or characterized by exaction; extortionate.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of exacting
Explanation
Use the adjective exacting to describe something or someone very precise or strict in its requirements. If your teacher has exacting standards about spelling and punctuation, you better carefully check your final paper. An exacting person expects things to be, well, exact. For this reason, demanding is a good synonym. Friends who are exacting might let you have it if you show up a minute or two late. Some exacting people are extremely selective about what they eat, rejecting anything that doesn't meet their complicated standards of nutrition and taste.
Vocabulary lists containing exacting
Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
30 GRE Words Beginning with "E" and "F"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Letters to a Young Poet
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yet other, more controversial projects, exacting irreversible change to capital institutions, are facing greater opposition.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
In other words, Congress acted in a historically unique and exacting way in telling judges how they were supposed to decide redistricting challenges.
From Slate • May 5, 2026
But his exacting standards and quick temper—to say nothing of his combustible relationship with the ensemble’s formidable chief executive, Ernest Fleischmann—resulted in Mr. Thomas’s unceremonious departure from the organization.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
He was exacting, charming and merciless in equal measure.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
Curiously, Chris didn’t hold everyone to the same exacting standards.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
