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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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.
"We will examine them thoroughly and get to the very bottom of the matter in order to establish the full truth," he continued.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
“The diversion allegations against this regional cloud were thoroughly investigated and debunked last year.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026
Posting on X, the Labour MP described him as "an outstanding talent and someone who came across as a thoroughly decent and lovely".
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
More impressive still is that along the way they have thoroughly reconsidered the piano, finding the kaleidoscopic breadth that has lurked within it, incompletely exploited for more than two centuries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
As I study this rover more, I observe more thoroughly all the damage he has sustained.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
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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.
