exhaustive

[ig-zaws-tiv]

adjective

1. exhausting exhausting a subject, topic, etc.; comprehensive; thorough.

   He published an exhaustive study of Greek vases.

2. tending to exhaust or drain, as resources or strength.

   a protracted, exhaustive siege of illness.

exhaustive

/ ɪɡˈzɔːstɪv /

adjective

1. comprehensive in scope; thorough

   an exhaustive survey

2. tending to exhaust

Other Word Forms

• exhaustiveness noun
• exhaustively adverb
• nonexhaustive adjective
• nonexhaustively adverb
• nonexhaustiveness noun
• unexhaustive adjective
• unexhaustively adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of exhaustive¹

First recorded in 1780–90; exhaust + -ive

Example Sentences

Yet in their exhaustive, three-part account of Cooper’s life—the first two are by Mr. Clark, a biographer, and the third by Mr. Calvocoressi, a modern-art curator—they aim to resurrect another Cooper as well.

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Previous books have explored the theories in exhaustive detail.

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“This exhaustive approach compels developers to allocate significant time and resources toward preparing for hypothetical risks rather than addressing actual, demonstrable harms,” wrote the Chamber of Progress.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"We want to reassure the public that our exhaustive investigations have found no evidence whatsoever to indicate any risk or harm to patients at our hospitals," they said.

Read more on BBC

This isn't an exhaustive list, and you can leave your thoughts in the comments as well as ranking the 10 upsets and sharing your results.

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Related Words

• comprehensive 
• encyclopedic 
• extensive 
• full-scale 
• in-depth 
• intensive 
• sweeping 
• thorough