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

No league was picked clean this offseason more thoroughly than the American, with four head coaches moving to Power 4 jobs and bringing players with them. — Chris Vannini, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

The latest iteration, however, has been thoroughly revamped and restored. — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 21 Aug. 2026

The milky, all-in-one formula is particularly well suited to combination-to-dry and sensitive skin, thoroughly whisking away makeup and excess oil without leaving your face with that squeaky-clean, tight feeling. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 20 Aug. 2026

Those grants were thoroughly reviewed and vetted by the previous board, Harney said. — Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above