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

If you were exposed to any chemicals remove your clothing and thoroughly wash your body with soap and water. —Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025

What’s more, the toads’ habitats have yet to be thoroughly explored, and scientists can only guess at how many unknown species in the region may exist, Scherz said. —Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 13 Nov. 2025

She’s played by Sarah Chalke (Scrubs), continuing the venerable sitcom tradition of wives thoroughly outclassing their hubbies. —Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025

Twisting the genres so suddenly, so thoroughly. —Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 12 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above