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 only reason to have players who know the game so thoroughly is to subvert their expectations, creating surprise, new gameplay, and fresh dynamics. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2025

Mash thoroughly with a potato masher (not in a food processor). —Faye Levy, Oc Register, 3 Dec. 2025

Rinse the mill thoroughly and purée the soup a second time. —Georgeanne Brennan, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025

If artists were making figurative work, that renewed impulse and allure only spoke to an urgent need to process just how thoroughly ordinary life was already permeated, and recast, by artifice and invention. —Tim Griffin, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above