thorough

thor·ough | \ ˈthər-(ˌ)ō

How to pronounce thorough (audio)

, sometimes ˈthȯr-; ˈthə-(ˌ)rō\

Definition of thorough

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : carried through to completion : exhaustive a thorough search

2a : marked by full detail a thorough description

b : careful about detail : painstaking a thorough scholar

c : complete in all respects thorough pleasure

d : having full mastery (as of an art) a thorough musician

thorough

Definition of thorough (Entry 2 of 3)

archaic

thorough

Definition of thorough (Entry 3 of 3)

archaic

Other Words from thorough Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about thorough

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Examples of thorough in a Sentence

Adjective … one realized that it was the restaurant's thorough and even comic Frenchness that had made it so entirely New York. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2004 Bruce tells me to squat down and Koani sidles up, ears flattened, tail tucked away, and gives my face a thorough licking. — Nicholas Evans, Daily Telegraph, 26 Sept. 1998 The job was uncharacteristically thorough for a Russian contract killing—three different types of bullets riddled Mikho's body. — New Republic, 15 Dec. 1997 a thorough understanding of the rules and regulations The investigator will have to be thorough.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The place is going to get a good thorough cleaning: The bathrooms. — BostonGlobe.com, "GREENFIELD – Across the majestic, old theater’s big silver screen a young Judy Garland once danced in dazzling ruby slippers down a yellow brick road.," 14 Nov. 2019 Whenever Katy ISD is made aware of an allegation, staff work swiftly with law enforcement and other agencies to ensure a thorough investigation and resolution in order to protect all students. — Kara Quebedeaux, Houston Chronicle, "Katy ISD educator accused of striking autistic student with cell phone, charged with injury," 6 Nov. 2019 Within hours of learning this information the company suspended Mr. Lublin pending a thorough investigation. — Claudia Rosenbaum, Billboard, "Former AEG Exec Adam Lublin Charged With Sexually Assaulting a Sleeping Co-Worker," 5 Nov. 2019 Because the survivors weren’t believed, and their cases did not receive thorough investigations, this predator was left free to harm and kill others. — Andrea Simakis, cleveland, "Blaming 2016 RNC for police staffing woes is another sorry excuse: Andrea Simakis," 27 Oct. 2019 Fort Knox Directorate of Emergency Services personnel are conducting a thorough search of the school grounds, using bomb-detection dogs as well. — Billy Kobin, The Courier-Journal, "Fort Knox high school evacuates after bomb threat, officials say," 25 Oct. 2019 The other major political segment of the night was a more thorough 2020 elections preview, a Democratic debate parody that further leaned into Michaels’s penchant for surprise drop-ins from famous freelancers. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "Ex–Cast Members Were the Bright Spot on SNL—And That’s a Problem," 29 Sep. 2019 These two novels, so spare and rigorous, so artistically correct, so thorough in their psychological realism, are the highest expression of the triangular purity of their author’s strange and beautiful esthétique. — Rachel Cusk, The New Yorker, "Françoise Sagan, the Great Interrogator of Morality," 21 Aug. 2019 The women are also calling on Lyft to institute more thorough background checks for drivers and require cameras in all cars. — Sophie Lewis, CBS News, "14 women file lawsuit against Lyft after drivers allegedly sexually assaulted them," 5 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'thorough.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near thorough

Statistics for thorough

Last Updated

18 Nov 2019

Time Traveler for thorough

The first known use of thorough was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for thorough

thorough

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of thorough

: including every possible part or detail

: careful about doing something in an accurate and exact way

chiefly British : complete or absolute

See the full definition for thorough in the English Language Learners Dictionary

thorough

thor·ough | \ ˈthər-ō

\

Kids Definition of thorough

1 : being such to the fullest degree : complete a thorough search

2 : careful about little things a thorough worker

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