English Reference
Verb

exacting

v.
C1 Advanced US /ɪɡˈzæktɪŋ/ UK /ɛɡzˈæktɪŋ/ ex·act·ing

v.demanding very high standards and being very strict about details. You use this to describe someone who does not accept anything less than perfect.

v.demanding very high standards or being very strict in the requirements for something. Often used to describe a person's character or the nature of a task.


SIMPLE

She is an exacting boss who never accepts poor work.

CONTEXTUAL

The construction project was delayed because the client was an exacting customer who wanted every detail checked twice.

COMPLEX

The role requires an exacting attention to detail, as even the smallest error in the final report could lead to significant financial losses for the firm.

A lot of the reporting for this book began life in the New Yorker, and it is as methodical, exacting, well-written and exceptionally reported as you’d expect.

The Guardian· 17 Aug 2026

They tore smartly into the start of Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements, an exacting work requiring pinpoint-precise playing, which it mostly received.

The Guardian· 11 Aug 2026

From exact + -ing.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated