exhaustive

Definitions

exhaust + -ive = 'having drawn out everything.' An exhaustive search has emptied the list of every possibility, leaving none unchecked. The completeness comes from the 'fully drained' image — nothing left to find.

Why It Means This

exhaustive looks like it should mean 'tiring,' but it means 'comprehensive.' The bridge is the draining image: if you have exhausted every option, you have looked at all of them — so an exhaustive list is one that has been drained of any missing item. The 'tiring' sense belongs to exhausting instead.

Common Collocations

• 1.exhaustive study详尽的研究
• 2.exhaustive research彻底的研究
• 3.exhaustive list完整清单
• 4.exhaustive review详尽的审查

Example Sentences

• 1.

  The committee carried out an exhaustive review of the case.

• 2.

  This is not an exhaustive list, just a few examples.

• 3.

  After exhaustive testing, the product was approved.

Easily Confused

exhaustive vs exhausting — a common trap. exhaustive = thorough, complete (an exhaustive report covers everything); exhausting = tiring (an exhausting report wears you out reading it). Both come from exhaust, but mean very different things.