exhaustive

adjective

ex·​haus·​tive ig-ˈzȯ-stiv 

: including all possibilities : thorough

conducted an exhaustive search

exhaustively adverb

exhaustiveness noun

exhaustivity

ig-ˌzȯ-ˈsti-və-tē 

noun

Synonyms

• all-out
• clean
• complete
• comprehensive
• full-scale
• out-and-out
• thorough
• thoroughgoing
• total

Examples of exhaustive in a Sentence

The list was long but not exhaustive.

after an exhaustive search of our house, we still hadn't found the cat

Recent Examples on the Web

Those chapters are so stuffed with endlessly changing gameplay experiences that the significant narrative reveals, usually placed midway through and at the end, are too far apart to have any impact after prolonged stretches of exhaustive action or puzzle-solving. —Kyle Wilson, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2025

All-season financial checklist While not an exhaustive list, these are some key financial planning items everyone should tackle. —Kristin McKenna, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025

It’s been quite the exhaustive excursion and seems never-ending. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2025

Editor's note: This list is neither exhaustive nor in any particular order. —Mckenzie Rankin, Axios, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1789, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

exhaustive

adjective

ex·​haus·​tive ig-ˈzȯ-stiv 

: trying all possibilities : thorough

an exhaustive search

exhaustively adverb

exhaustiveness noun