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

The comedy club The manosphere and the male loneliness epidemic has been too thoroughly litigated elsewhere to dwell on here. —Donie O'Sullivan, CNN Money, 6 June 2026

Some of them were criticized as having inadequate living conditions, and there were also concerns about authorities failing to thoroughly vet sponsors with whom some children were placed. —Sophie Austin, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026

Use a dry microfiber cloth to thoroughly dry the surface right away, as standing water can seep into the pores of the stone and cause staining or dullness over time. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 6 June 2026

It’s been a while since Lopez was this thoroughly, lovingly looked after on screen. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above