Meanings
comparative more exhaustive · superlative most exhaustive
- Including every possible element: fully comprehensive.
We made an exhaustive list.
Synonyms: all-encompassing
- archaicCausing exhaustion; very tiring.
Wolsey saw in what imminent peril the revenues of the Church were from the exhaustive squandering and grasping covetousness of the Court.
1878, John Henry Blunt, The Reformation of the Church of England: A. D. 1514-1547, page 981 more example
Chopping and hauling wood was exhaustive work. Scraping the flesh off the heavy hides and hanging them to dry also taxed her physical strength.
2013, Gloria Linkey, Native American Women: Three Who Changed HistorySynonyms: tiring, weariful, draining, exhausting, fatiguing, grueling, tiresome, tiring
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveIncluding every possible element: fully comprehensive.
adjectiveCausing exhaustion; very tiring.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveperformed comprehensively and completely; not superficial or partial
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰ
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰs
- Proto-Italic*eks
- Latinex
- Latinex-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ews-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ews-ye-ti
- Proto-Italic*auziō
- Latinhauriō
- Latinexhauriō
- Latinexhaustus
- Medieval Latinexhaustīvus
- Englishexhaustive
Borrowed from Medieval Latin exhaustīvus. By surface analysis, exhaust + -ive.
More words from Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic حاصر
- حاصرincluding every possible element
Bulgarian изчерпателен
- изчерпателен (izčerpatelen)including every possible element
Catalan exhaustiu
- exhaustiuincluding every possible element
Czech vyčerpávající
- vyčerpávajícíincluding every possible element
Dutch volledig
- volledigincluding every possible element
Esperanto ĝisfunda
- ĝisfundaincluding every possible element
Finnish tyhjentävä
- tyhjentäväincluding every possible element
French exhaustif
- exhaustifincluding every possible element
German vollständig, erschöpfend
- vollständigincluding every possible element
- erschöpfendincluding every possible element
- abschließendincluding every possible element
Greek εξαντλητικός
- εξαντλητικός (exantlitikós)including every possible element
Hindi संपूर्ण, विस्तृत
- संपूर्ण (sampūrṇ)including every possible element
- विस्तृत (vistŕt)including every possible element
- व्यापक (vyāpak)including every possible element
Hungarian kimerítő, teljes körű
- kimerítőincluding every possible element
- teljes körűincluding every possible element
Italian esaustivo, esauriente
- esaustivoincluding every possible element
- esaurienteincluding every possible element
Polish wyczerpujący
- wyczerpującyincluding every possible element
Portuguese exaustivo
- exaustivoincluding every possible element
Russian исче́рпывающий
- исче́рпывающий (isčérpyvajuščij)including every possible element
Spanish exhaustivo
- exhaustivoincluding every possible element
Swedish uttömmande
- uttömmandeincluding every possible element
Turkish kapsamlı, şümullü
- kapsamlıincluding every possible element
- şümullüincluding every possible element
Ukrainian виче́рпний
- виче́рпний (vyčérpnyj)including every possible element
Cite this entry
exhaustive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exhaustive
“exhaustive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exhaustive. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “exhaustive,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exhaustive.
Source: exhaustive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.