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Glite Dictionary
exacting

exacting

7 7.0
Needing a lot of care and attention to small details
  • adjective
  • /ɪɡˈzæktɪŋ/
translation icon : exigente
  • The design specs for devices relying on air bearings were incredibly exacting, involving microfabrication with tolerances of about a micrometer.
  • exacting standards
  • an exacting job
  • an exacting review

That cruel, exacting, demanding kind of boss feel.

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Examples

  • High C people are careful, cautious, exacting, neat, systematic, diplomatic, accurate, and tactful.

    Blog text (9)

  • Diplomacy is a very exacting occupation.

    Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

  • Was this situation specific to your wedding or are you just very exacting in everything?

    Dr. Phil

  • You insist on very high and exacting standards.

    Zappa (2020)

  • The equipment will never meet the engineers' exacting specifications, after all.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Ours is an exacting profession.

    Mata Hari (1931)

  • Women prove themselves to be particularly adept at this exacting work.

    Spitfire (2018)

  • And in the brochure for the school, it says this course is as rigorous and exacting as theater itself.

  • He's an exacting man, as I'm sure you'll see, and one who demands obedience from those around him.

    The Return of Swamp Thing (1989)

  • My teacher has very exacting standards for the quality of our essays.

Synonyms

strict
vsexacting
359 3.2

Not allowing any exceptions and requiring rules to be followed exactly

is about requiring careful accuracy and detail rather than rule enforcement
particular
vsexacting
106 4.4

Careful about small details and hard to please

is more about requiring accuracy and effort than being personally picky
rigorous
vsexacting
85 6.7

Being very strict and careful about rules and details

is precise and asks for accuracy and attention without extreme severity
stringent
vsexacting
40 6.9

Very strict rules or limits that must be followed

is about attention to detail and effort, not only rule firmness
painstaking
vsexacting
13 6.1

Being very careful and using a lot of effort

is about requiring precise accuracy and close attention rather than effort focus
demanding
vsexacting
4.1

Needing a lot of time, effort, or attention

focuses on precise accuracy and close attention rather than general effort

Antonyms

lenient
32 4.4

Not strict about rules and punishment

easygoing
22 2.6

Being calm and relaxed and not easily upset

How Demanding

stringent
40 6.9
exacting
7 7.0
rigorous
85 6.7
demanding
4.1

Surface Forms

exacting positive

Morphology

exacting = exact (semi-transparent) = exact + ing

The adjective 'exacting' is built from 'exact' + '-ing' and the connection to precision is clear, but the meaning 'demanding' extends from someone who requires exactness and is not a straightforward literal derivation for all learners.

Etymology

The word exacting comes from the Latin word exigere, which means 'to demand', from ex- 'out' and agere 'to drive', and it has the same root as exact. So an exacting task 'drives out' mistakes and needs very careful, strict work.