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

Derived Forms

• exˈhaustively, adverb
• exˈhaustiveness, noun

Other Words From

• ex·haustive·ly adverb
• ex·haustive·ness noun
• nonex·haustive adjective
• nonex·haustive·ly adverb
• nonex·haustive·ness noun
• unex·haustive adjective
• unex·haustive·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of exhaustive¹

First recorded in 1780–90; exhaust + -ive

Example Sentences

It’s far from exhaustive, but with one activity a week for 15 weeks, it’s a solid foundation.

From Outside Online

If you are just starting out, this article is, by no means, exhaustive, but consider it a nudge in the right direction and a playbook to help you set about building your brand recognition the right way.

From Search Engine Watch

The report—commissioned by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission—includes an exhaustive overview of risks, from falling real estate values in coastal flood zones to the inability of Midwestern farmers to repay loans after droughts or floods.

From Quartz

The company declined to make Vazquez available for an interview or respond to an exhaustive list of written questions regarding its legal collections strategy and general business practices.

From ProPublica

If you are going to try to fine-tune your margin of error, though, then we think you need to be pretty exhaustive about thinking through sources of uncertainty.

From FiveThirtyEight

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

From The Daily Beast

This is the Daily Beast's first high school list and it isn't exhaustive.

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

That's the crushing kind of repertoire he gives his pupils—so exhaustive and complete in every department.

From Project Gutenberg

Few histories give the reader the same impression of exhaustive study.

From Project Gutenberg

Certain books, however, have treated special divisions of the whole subject in a thorough and exhaustive manner.

From Project Gutenberg

This answer would be exhaustive, if it were the fact that the laity made the law for the theologians.

From Project Gutenberg

This is not the place in which to enter on an exhaustive inquiry as to the nature of causation.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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