exacting

comparative more exacting · superlative most exacting

1. Making great demands; difficult to satisfy.

   His exacting taste required no small degree of outward perfection.

   1874, Edward Payson Roe, chapter 4, in Opening a Chestnut Burr

   2 more examples

   [H]e burst into apologies which would have satisfied a more exacting man than I am.

   1895, Arthur Conan Doyle, chapter 7, in The Stark Munro Letters

   [Canadian Prime Minister] Mr. [Mark] Carney was the exacting governor of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis, and the levelheaded governor of the Bank of England during Brexit.

   2025 April 2, Sara Miller Llana, “Who is Mark Carney? Maybe just who Canada wants to face off against Trump.”, in The Christian Science Monitor

   Synonyms: demanding

2. Of an action, task, etc., requiring precise accuracy, great care, effort, or attention.

   Wolf's work, which, though not very exacting, had to be done single-handed, kept him to his post.

   1897, Bram Stoker, chapter 3, in The Man

   2 more examples

   Every photographer of experience has his own theories and methods of working, but for the last 14 years I have used a Leica exclusively, and have found it best adapted to the somewhat exacting demands of railway photography, which is by no means an easy branch of the art.

   1952 February, H. C. Casserley, “Permanent Wayfarings”, in Railway Magazine, page 78

   Even if a GDF receives its first deposit in the 2040s, the waste has to be delivered and put away with such exacting caution that it can be filled and closed only by the middle of the 22nd century.

   December 15 2022, Samanth Subramanian, “Dismantling Sellafield: the epic task of shutting down a nuclear site”, in The Guardian

   Synonyms: demanding, niggly, pernickety

3. Of a person or organization, characterized by exaction.

   "He is a hard, exacting, money-loving man," was my remark.

   1850, T. S. Arthur, chapter 2, in All's For the Best

   Synonyms: acquisitive, extortionate, grasping, money-grubbing, rapacious

1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of exact