exacting
Tolerating no sloppiness
Exacting describes tasks or standards that demand great care, precision, or effort: exacting work, exacting standards.
An exacting person is hard to please, requiring much from others: an exacting boss who accepted nothing less than perfection.
The word implies rigor without necessarily implying unfairness—exacting standards may be justified by the stakes involved.
Requiring great effort
- uncompromisingRefusing to yield ground
- strictRigorous, without flexibility
- rigorousExtremely thorough and careful
- stringentSeverely exact and demanding
stern · inflexible · unyielding · insistent · hard-to-please · perfectionist · critical · fussy
Showing extreme attention to detail
- preciseExactly correct, no error
- thoroughComplete in every detail
- scrupulousThorough and principled
- carefulExercising caution and attention
detail-oriented · painstaking · methodical · punctilious · conscientious · diligent · systematic · rigorous
Hard to accomplish
- arduousDemanding strenuous effort
- difficultRequiring much effort
- taxingRequiring great effort
- demandingRequiring great effort
grueling · laborious · strenuous · punishing · onerous · tough · trying · formidable
Accuracy of measurement
- accuracyDegree of correctness
- specificityExactness of detail
- calibrationAdjusting for measurement accuracy
- toleranceWillingness to accept difference
fine-tuning · measurement · detail · refinement · standards · specifications · requirements · benchmarks
demanding
Requiring great effort
- uncompromisingRefusing to yield ground
- strictRigorous, without flexibility
- rigorousExtremely thorough and careful
stringent · stern · inflexible · unyielding · insistent · hard-to-please · perfectionist · critical · fussy · particular
meticulous
Showing extreme attention to detail
- preciseExactly correct, no error
- thoroughComplete in every detail
- scrupulousThorough and principled
careful · detail-oriented · painstaking · methodical · punctilious · conscientious · diligent · systematic · rigorous · attentive
challenging
Hard to accomplish
demanding · grueling · laborious · strenuous · punishing · onerous · tough · trying · formidable · daunting
precision
Accuracy of measurement
- accuracyDegree of correctness
- specificityExactness of detail
- calibrationAdjusting for measurement accuracy
tolerance · fine-tuning · measurement · detail · refinement · standards · specifications · requirements · benchmarks
- strictsevere, stern, harsh, rigid, firm
- challengeschallenge, difficult, hard, challenging, tough
- High Standardsexcellence, perfectionism, quality, precision, rigor
- lab qualitiessterile, calibrated, controlled, precise, accurate
- fussinessfussiness, pickiness, picky, nitpicky, persnickety
- cautioncareful, be careful, cautious, caution, watch out
exactinglenient
Tolerant of faults
undemanding · lax · permissive · tolerant · indulgent
exactingeasy
Requiring minimal effort
effortless · simple · undemanding · light · facile