thoroughly
Americanadverb
-
in a thorough manner or degree; completely and carefully.
We will review the data thoroughly.
-
perfectly; utterly.
We thoroughly enjoyed the play.
Etymology
Origin of thoroughly
First recorded in 1450–1500; thorough ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Explanation
Thoroughly means exhaustively and completely. No matter how thoroughly you clean every carpet, shelf, and windowpane in a house, there is always more dust to be found. Thorough comes from the word through, and originally meant passing completely through something. We use thorough and thoroughly now to show that we have really been as meticulous as possible in a given task. If a detective interviews everyone present at the scene of the crime, collects all the biological evidence, and takes pictures from every angle, then we can say she investigated the crime thoroughly.
Vocabulary lists containing thoroughly
Legend
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Out of the Dust
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myPerspectives 7.5
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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.
I bought a pizza stone, preheated it thoroughly, and figured out the ideal cooking time for my oven.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026
Peter Kelly, who produces the podcast, told BBC Scotland's Lunchtime Live programme the award was a "huge honour, but thoroughly unexpected".
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
Gabrielle Policano as Liz, with whom Elle develops a friendship, is very good, thoroughly convincing, as are all the young performers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
From that point forward, Socolow and Pacala were thoroughly committed to “Wedges.”
From Salon • Jun. 26, 2026
Friedrick considers the question thoroughly before he responds.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
