characterized by extreme care and great effort; "conscientious application to the work at hand"; "painstaking research"; "scrupulous attention to details"
A painstaking search, examination, or investigation is done extremely carefully and thoroughly. Forensic experts carried out a painstaking search of the debris. = thorough + painstakingly pains·taking·ly Broken bones were painstakingly pieced together and reshaped. very careful and thorough