Definition of thorough
1 : carried through to completion : exhaustive a thorough search
2a : marked by full detail a thorough descriptionb : careful about detail : painstaking a thorough scholarc : complete in all respects thorough pleasured : having full mastery (as of an art) a thorough musician
thoroughly
adverbthoroughness
nounExplore Merriam-Webster
Examples of thorough in a Sentence
… 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
… as I look into their black faces, their hope is so thorough and consuming it frightens me. —Bob Shacochis, Harper's, February 1995
Recent Examples of thorough from the Web
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In 2015, the RAND Corporation, a think-tank, published the most thorough study yet of schools using high-tech personalised learning.
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Real-world conditions The RDE test is encouragingly thorough.
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They were divided on whether Trump Jr. was for or against offering a more thorough disclosure: Inside Mr. Trump’s team, the response to the developments has become a subject of intense dispute.
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But the leftists who run that English department place race (and gender) above excellence — a thorough rejection of Western values.
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The Ringer published a thorough examination of the situation last month.
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According to the seller, the car seems largely original, although the ad does note that the engine bay could use a deep and thorough cleaning.
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After a hydrating, callus-blasting pedicure and thorough buff job to reverse winter’s harsh-and-dry effects, what better way to celebrate than by adding a pair of festive, weekend-ready sandals to your warm weather ensemble?
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In it, a mental health professional will do a thorough screening of a patient’s social and medical history to see if there are any red flags that a patient’s anxiety might actually be caused by an underlying medical condition.
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.
Origin and Etymology of thorough
see 2thorough
Origin and Etymology of thorough
Middle English thorow, from Old English thurh, thuruh, preposition & adverb
Examples of thorough in a Sentence
a thorough understanding of the rules and regulations
The investigator will have to be thorough.
Origin and Etymology of thorough
see 2thorough
THOROUGH Defined for English Language Learners
thorough
Definition of thorough for English Language Learners
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: including every possible part or detail
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: careful about doing something in an accurate and exact way
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: complete or absolute
THOROUGH Defined for Kids
Learn More about thorough
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for thorough Spanish Central: Translation of thorough Nglish: Translation of thorough for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of thorough for Arabic speakers
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