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
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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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:
“Our valuation reflects a thorough analysis of comparable properties with similar views, many of which would require substantial renovation or complete redevelopment,” she shares.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
The military official said that "soldiers conducted thorough searches of multiple locations, detained and questioned suspects, and located and confiscated four weapons, several vests, and additional military equipment".
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre, in a statement Tuesday, wrote that ICE and CoreCivic must quickly reach the person’s family, cooperate with a thorough investigation and share what they find with the public.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
“A thorough, transparent accounting of the fiscal cost of campaign measures/promises—and of the revisions and adjustments required for the 2027 budget—is also essential,” GS said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Foreign bootlegging of minerals is so thorough that our neighbor the French Congo, without a single diamond mine in its borders, is the world’s fifth-largest exporter of diamonds.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Thorough screening and a good lease can reduce problems and help resolve disputes, but nothing is foolproof.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
"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
The part of despot he played to perfection, making the Irish Parliament the tool of his will, applying to it and to the government in general his own and Laud’s high royalist policy of Thorough.
From Irish History and the Irish Question by Goldwin Smith
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
