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 testimony of Shivon Zilis — senior Musk adviser, former OpenAI board member and mother of four of his children — showed how thoroughly personal and professional relationships overlapped inside early OpenAI. —Anisha Sircar, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026

Throughout his career, Jackson has been thoroughly good in this time slot. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 16 May 2026

Submerge charcoal in water until it's thoroughly cooled. —Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2026

Still, the World Traveler comes thoroughly outfitted and includes a Truma Combi Eco Plus furnace/water heater, the aforementioned air conditioner, a JBL Bluetooth stereo with speakers and a 24-in HD smart TV, all standard. —C.c. Weiss may 15, New Atlas, 15 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above