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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) |  |  | 2 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
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Jun. 12, 2019 USD ($) | Apr. 15, 2018 Facility Position | Jul. 19, 2019 USD ($) $ / shares shares | Aug. 31, 2019 Segment | May 31, 2019 USD ($) | Feb. 28, 2019 USD ($) | Nov. 30, 2018 USD ($) | Aug. 31, 2018 USD ($) | May 31, 2018 USD ($) | Feb. 28, 2018 USD ($) | Nov. 30, 2017 USD ($) | Aug. 31, 2017 USD ($) | May 31, 2019 USD ($) Entity Segment Reportingunit $ / shares shares | May 31, 2018 USD ($) Entity Segment Reportingunit shares | May 31, 2017 USD ($) shares
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of controlled subsidiary's earnings |  |  |  |  | 100.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 100.00% |  |  |  |  |
Number of business acquisition | Entity |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5 |  | 7 |  |  |
Number of reportable segments | Segment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3 |  | 3 |  |  |
Net transactional foreign exchange losses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 4,800,000 |  | $ 12,300,000 |  | $ 6,400,000 |
Cost of sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,302,644,000 |  | 3,140,431,000 |  | 2,792,487,000 |
Bad debt expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 18,600,000 |  | $ 9,100,000 |  | 16,000,000 |
Number of manufacturing facilities closed | Facility |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of positions eliminated | Position |  | 154 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Inventory write-downs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 36,500,000 |  |  |  |  | 10,500,000 |  |  |  |  |
Inventory write-offs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,200,000 |  |  |  |  | 10,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill and other intangible asset impairments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 4,190,000 |  |  |  | 193,198,000 |
Number of reporting units | Reportingunit |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 |  | 0 |  |  |
Intangible asset impairment loss |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 4,200,000 |  | $ 0 |  |  |
Advertising cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 57,500,000 |  | 58,000,000 |  | 52,300,000 |
Research and development cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 71,600,000 |  | 69,700,000 |  | 64,900,000 |
Realized losses on sales of available-for-sale securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Realized gains on trading securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 500,000 |  |  |  |  |
Unrealized losses on trading securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,300,000 |  |  |  |  |
Unrealized losses on marketable equity securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4,600,000 |  |  |  |  |
Gross gains realized on sales of marketable securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 11,900,000 |  | 12,600,000 |
Gross losses realized on sales of marketable securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,800,000 |  | 4,400,000 |
Net Sales |  |  |  |  | $ 1,601,401,000 | $ 1,140,630,000 | $ 1,362,531,000 | $ 1,459,989,000 | 1,558,156,000 | [1] | $ 1,102,677,000 | $ 1,315,416,000 | $ 1,345,394,000 | $ 5,564,551,000 | [2] | $ 5,321,643,000 | [2] | $ 4,958,175,000 | [2]
Shares repurchased | shares |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,286,907 |  | 0 |  | 0 |
Shares repurchased, value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 200,222,000 |  |  |  |  |
Repurchase of common stock price per shares | $ / shares |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 60.92 |  |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Shares repurchased | shares |  |  | 1,655,616 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Shares repurchased, value |  |  | $ 100,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Repurchase of common stock price per shares | $ / shares |  |  | $ 60.40 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Schul International Co., LLC And Willseal LLC | Subsequent Event |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net Sales | $ 15,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Restore Indefinite-lived Tradename |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Intangible asset impairment loss |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 4,900,000 |
Kirker Reporting Unit |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill and other intangible asset impairments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 |  | $ 0 |  |  |
Third Party |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cost of sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 173,600,000 |  | $ 164,700,000 |  | $ 148,900,000 |
Type of Cost, Good or Service [Extensible List] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | us-gaap:ShippingAndHandlingMember |  | us-gaap:ShippingAndHandlingMember |  | us-gaap:ShippingAndHandlingMember |
Scenario Forecast |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of reportable segments | Segment |  |  |  | 4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Industrial Segment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of business acquisition | Entity |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  | 3 |  |  |
Inventory write-downs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,200,000 |  |  |  |  | $ 10,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Consumer Segment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Inventory write-downs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 36,500,000 |  |  |  |  | 10,500,000 |  |  |  |  |
Consumer Segment | Kirker Reporting Unit |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill and other intangible asset impairments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 188,300,000 |
Trade names |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Intangible asset impairment loss |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Customer-related Intangibles |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Intangible asset impairment loss |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,200,000 |  |  |  |  |
[1] | Reflects inventory-related charges of $36.5 million in our consumer reportable segment for product line rationalization and related obsolete inventory identification and $1.2 million in inventory reductions related to restructuring activities in our industrial reportable segment. Additional restructuring charges totaling $17.5 million were incurred during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018, as further described in Note B, “Restructuring.” We also incurred charges in our industrial segment totaling $4.2 million in connection with the decision to exit Flowcrete China.
[2] | It is not practicable to obtain the information needed to disclose revenues attributable to each of our product lines.

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