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

• 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

Today, Tutivillus has become a thoroughly modern fiend, the patron demon of typographical errors. —JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025

King may shift to a different role at the news division that is being thoroughly overhauled under the new Paramount Skydance regime. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025

Dry them thoroughly, then transfer to a jar with a few parsley sprigs and cover with extra-virgin olive oil. —Katie Parla, Saveur, 30 Oct. 2025

But in between the cutting insults, the two have had gritty policy debates and have each managed to thoroughly articulate their platforms to New Jersey voters. —Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above