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ng demands or requiring the exact fulfillment of obligations; harsh; severe. "A temper so exacting." T. Arnold -- Ex*act"ing*ly, adv. -- Ex*act"ing*ness, n.

A hard and exacting master, landlord, or money lender; an extortioner.

Inclined to criticise or find fault; fastidious; captious; censorious; exacting. O gentle lady, do not put me to 't, For I am nothing, if not critical. Shak.

Of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.

The state of being exigent; urgent or exacting want; pressing necessity or distress; need; a case demanding immediate action, supply, or remedy; as, an unforeseen exigency. "The present exigency of his affairs." Ludlow.

Exacting or requiring immediate aid or action; pressing; critical. "At this exigent moment." Burke.

To harass by exacting unnecessary, disagreeable, or difficult work.

Rigorous; severe; exacting; as, an ironclad oath or pledge. [Colloq.]

Exacting exclusive devotion; intolerant of rivalry. Thou shalt worship no other God; for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. Ex. xxxiv. 14.

England, of giing every third year, on Whittuesday, to a hillock near the Bath road, and exacting money from all passers-by, to support at the university the senior scholar of the school.

Overscrupulous or exacting; hard to please or satisfy; fastidious in small matters. Curious not knowing, not exact but nice. Pope. And to taste Think not I shall be nice. Milton.

To refrain from exacting as a penalty. I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it. Shak.

Urgent; exacting; importunate; as, a pressing necessity. -- Press"ing*ly, adv.

s, a querulous man or people. Enmity can hardly be more annoying that querulous, jealous, exacting fondness. Macaulay.

The act or practice of extorting or exacting by oppressive injustice; exorbitant greediness of gain. "The rapacity of some ages." Sprat.

To refrain from exacting or enforcing; as, to remit the performance of an obligation. "The sovereign was undoubtedly competent to remit penalties." Macaulay.

To use violent mans in making exactions; to be oppressive or exacting. Howitt.

ealing; shrewd; as, a sharp dealer; a sharp customer. The necessity of being so sharp and exacting. Swift.