thoroughly

adverb

thor·​ough·​ly ˈthər-(ˌ)ō-lē 

sometimes ˈthȯr-;

ˈthə-(ˌ)rō-

: in a complete or thorough manner

Police thoroughly searched the crime scene for clues.

Bats are extremely tidy: they comb themselves thoroughly, and don't gather a mess of nesting materials for their homes, as birds do.

—Diane Ackerman

: to a complete or thorough extent

We were thoroughly satisfied with the service we received.

thoroughly disgusted/delighted

By taking all the tricks in the game, one defeats the opponent so thoroughly that he may be disconcerted …

—Craig M. Carver

Synonyms of thoroughly

• systematically
• fully

Examples of thoroughly in a Sentence

they researched the issue thoroughly before deciding how to vote

I am thoroughly satisfied with her explanation of the events of that evening

Recent Examples on the Web

Opened in late 2016, the Hewing occupies the historic Jackson Building, built in 1897 as a warehouse for timber traveling the Mississippi River and showroom for farm equipment—traces of the past can still be seen in what is otherwise a thoroughly contemporary, and endearingly Minnesotan hotel. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026

Each pad features scrubbing strips that work hard to remove grime and stains and, when combined with a premixed solution, thoroughly clean floors. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026

This latest Ranger captures the vintage spirit of the original while delivering a thoroughly modern wearing experience. —Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 30 Mar. 2026

But first, the agency plans to thoroughly test the Orion crew capsule during this Artemis II voyage. —William Harwood, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above