thorough
adjective
executed without negligence or omissions.
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thorough
American
[thur-oh, thuhr-oh]
/ ˈθɜr oʊ, ˈθʌr oʊ /
adjective
-
executed without negligence or omissions.
a thorough search.
- Synonyms:
- total, unqualified, sheer, downright, exhaustive, in-depth
- Antonyms:
- superficial, partial
-
thorough enjoyment.
-
extremely attentive to accuracy and detail; painstaking: a thorough analysis.
a thorough worker;
a thorough analysis.
-
having full command or mastery of an art, talent, etc..
a thorough actress.
-
extending or passing through.
adverb
noun
thorough
1
British
/ ˈθʌrə /
adjective
-
carried out completely and carefully
a thorough search
-
(prenominal) utter
a thorough bore
-
painstakingly careful
my work is thorough
Thorough
2
British
/ ˈθʌrə /
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of thorough
First recorded before 900; Middle English (preposition and adverb); Old English thuruh, variant of thurh through
Explanation
Thorough describes something that is painstakingly complete, like a thorough search for your missing keys in which you look for them in coat pockets, under the table, in the refrigerator — in every single place you can think of. Thorough rhymes with "burrow": "THUR-oh." It looks a lot like through but remember thorough is an adjective, so you might use it to describe a thorough investigation or a thorough review. In contrast through is used most often as a preposition — you might look through every drawer, for example, in a search — or as an adverb — you might see a hole in your pocket where coins fall through.
Vocabulary lists containing thorough
"Earth and Space"
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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Everything, Everything
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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.
See Examples For:
“We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation, holding those responsible accountable and standing with our Jewish community, all faith communities and every resident against all forms of hatred and intolerance.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
For Stephan Rapp, a former US ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues, the process may have been imperfect but the probe was thorough.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
But her thorough coursework and off-the-beaten-path syllabus of films opened my eyes to countless new ideas and perspectives.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
Bag checks were also more thorough than in previous games, contributing to the length of time people waited to get in.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
They were slow, they were thorough; none of the slapdash arrogance and sudden deviousness that marked Karhidish officialdom.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
"Thorough culling" to reduce the number of bears is the only effective way to reduce the risk for local people, researcher Ohnishi said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2025
Thorough clinical trials have already proven benefits to heart health - and nausea is a known side-effect - but other findings will need to go through similar rigorous testing.
From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2025
Thorough background checks have long been a norm used by incoming presidents when choosing their Cabinet.
From Salon ● Nov. 25, 2024
Thorough research might also speed assistance to thousands of Americans who say they were injured.
From New York Times ● May 3, 2024
Thorough cooking of meat appears to destroy the vitality of the worm, but in foreign countries where the pork is eaten in an uncooked or an undercooked condition the disease is not uncommon.
From The Pig Breeding, Rearing, and Marketing by Spencer, Sanders
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
