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

During the flight, she’s thoroughly humiliated when someone finds her audition tape for Survivor and displays it on his laptop for all to enjoy. —Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026

An outbreak of Norovirus, which is caused by not washing your hands thoroughly, can ruin a cruise within 24 hours. —Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 26 Jan. 2026

Add mascarpone and stir until thoroughly incorporated. —Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026

One that can be thoroughly explored through a new collection of garments. —Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above