painstaking

[peynz-tey-king, peyn-stey-] / ˈpeɪnzˌteɪ kɪŋ, ˈpeɪnˌsteɪ- /

ADJECTIVE

meticulous, thorough

Synonyms

STRONGEST

assiduous careful conscientious diligent earnest exacting scrupulous strenuous

STRONG

detail-oriented

WEAK

by the book by the numbers conscionable exact finicky fussbudget fussy hard-working heedful industrious particular persevering persnickety picky punctilious punctual sedulous stickler thoroughgoing

Antonyms

STRONGEST

careless lazy lethargic negligent thoughtless uncareful unconcerned unenthusiastic unscrupulous

WEAK

easy half-baked half-done unmindful unthorough

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Revealing a boundary as fragile as this paper-thin clay layer required painstaking work.

From Science Daily

The work, while often painstaking, can be relaxing, she said..

From Seattle Times

Their actions were seldom justified with painstaking analyses of their impact.

From Los Angeles Times

I wanted this clarity because Webster is a smart, painstaking researcher.

From Washington Post

Brown said the process will probably be costly and painstaking — she estimates much of the stone is still usable.

From Washington Post