exhaustive

[ig-zaws-tiv]

See more synonyms for exhaustive on Thesaurus.com

adjective

exhausting a subject, topic, etc.; comprehensive; thorough: He published an exhaustive study of Greek vases.
tending to exhaust or drain, as resources or strength: a protracted, exhaustive siege of illness.

Origin of exhaustive

First recorded in 1780–90; exhaust + -ive

Related formsex·haus·tive·ly, adverbex·haus·tive·ness, nounnon·ex·haus·tive, adjectivenon·ex·haus·tive·ly, adverbnon·ex·haus·tive·ness, nounun·ex·haus·tive, adjectiveun·ex·haus·tive·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for exhaustive

Contemporary Examples

“Discord” proceeds to envelop us in this exhaustive, mind-racking debate.
The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson (And Tolstoy and Dickens)
Samuel Fragoso
October 26, 2014
They will also focus on the exhaustive nature of the investigation, during which staffers reviewed over 16 million documents.
You're About to See What Obama Calls 'Torture'
Josh Rogin, Eli Lake
August 1, 2014
Consider, for example, the exhaustive coverage Chris Christie has received in recent months.
The Media's Selective Political Scandal Addiction
Ron Christie
April 6, 2014
Here, now, are the results of an exhaustive listening study stretching back to 1998.
Shows on NPR, Ranked in Order From Glorious to Unbearable
Kelly Williams Brown
January 25, 2014
An exhaustive investigation uncovered some 24 such events over the last year, or about one every two weeks on average.
Read This, Skip That: The Best of The Daily Beast in 2013
December 29, 2013

Historical Examples

It was exhaustive and trenchant, and produced a great effect.
The Grand Old Man
Richard B. Cook
This conclusion he had arrived at only after most exhaustive study.
Johnny Bear
E. T. Seton
I do not pretend to give you an exhaustive catalogue of such.
The Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 10, No. 58, August, 1862
Various
After exhaustive investigation (zero data) he still wondered.
Zero Data
Charles Saphro
The most complete and exhaustive volume of the kind with which we are acquainted.
Aztec Land
Maturin M. Ballou

British Dictionary definitions for exhaustive

exhaustive

adjective

comprehensive in scope; thoroughan exhaustive survey
tending to exhaust

Derived Formsexhaustively, adverbexhaustiveness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for exhaustive

adj.

1780s, from exhaust + -ive. Related: Exhaustively; exhaustiveness.

exhaustive

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}exhaustive

Examples from the Web for exhaustive

Contemporary Examples

“Discord” proceeds to envelop us in this exhaustive, mind-racking debate.

They will also focus on the exhaustive nature of the investigation, during which staffers reviewed over 16 million documents.

Consider, for example, the exhaustive coverage Chris Christie has received in recent months.

Here, now, are the results of an exhaustive listening study stretching back to 1998.

An exhaustive investigation uncovered some 24 such events over the last year, or about one every two weeks on average.

Historical Examples

It was exhaustive and trenchant, and produced a great effect.

This conclusion he had arrived at only after most exhaustive study.

I do not pretend to give you an exhaustive catalogue of such.

After exhaustive investigation (zero data) he still wondered.

The most complete and exhaustive volume of the kind with which we are acquainted.

exhaustive

Word Origin and History for exhaustive

adj.

Origin of exhaustive