exacting

1. 1.

   having complicated nutritional requirements; especially growing only in special artificial cultures

   “fastidious microorganisms”

   “certain highly specialized xerophytes are extremely exacting in their requirements”

   Synonymsfastidious

   microbiology

2. 2.

   severe and unremitting in making demands

   “an exacting instructor”

   “a stern disciplinarian”

   “strict standards”

   Synonymssternstrict

   Similardemanding
3. 3.

   requiring precise accuracy

   “an exacting job”

   “became more exigent over his pronunciation”

   Synonymsexigent

   Similardemanding

Questions about exacting

What does exacting mean?

exacting means "having complicated nutritional requirements; especially growing only in special artificial cultures". That is the primary sense; the word has 3 in total, listed in full on this page.

How many syllables are in exacting?

exacting has 3 syllables: ex-ac-ting. The stress falls on "ac". In IPA it is /ɪɡˈzæktɪŋ/.

What is another word for exacting?

Close synonyms include fastidious, stern, strict, exigent. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.

Is exacting a common word?

exacting is banded "Uncommon" — turns up in careful writing rather than conversation. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.