thor·ough
ˈthər-(ˌ)ō 
sometimes ˈthȯr-;
ˈthə-(ˌ)rō
1
: carried through to completion : exhaustive
a thorough search
2
a
: marked by full detail
a thorough description
b
: careful about detail : painstaking
a thorough scholar
c
: complete in all respects
thorough pleasure
d
: having full mastery (as of an art)
a thorough musician
thoroughness
noun
archaic
: through
Examples of thorough in a Sentence
Adjective
… one realized that it was the restaurant's thorough and even comic Frenchness that had made it so entirely New York.
—
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2004
Bruce tells me to squat down and Koani sidles up, ears flattened, tail tucked away, and gives my face a thorough licking.
—Nicholas Evans, Daily Telegraph, 26 Sept. 1998
The job was uncharacteristically thorough for a Russian contract killing—three different types of bullets riddled Mikho's body.
—New Republic, 15 Dec. 1997
a thorough understanding of the rules and regulations
The investigator will have to be thorough.
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2004
Bruce tells me to squat down and Koani sidles up, ears flattened, tail tucked away, and gives my face a thorough licking.
—Nicholas Evans, Daily Telegraph, 26 Sept. 1998
The job was uncharacteristically thorough for a Russian contract killing—three different types of bullets riddled Mikho's body.
—New Republic, 15 Dec. 1997
a thorough understanding of the rules and regulations
The investigator will have to be thorough.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Face washing allows for thorough cleansing if done properly, which allows the skin to better absorb moisturizers or treatments that may be applied afterwards.
—Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 16 Sep. 2025
Tips for Separating Sheets from Other Laundry Items Wash sheets separately to avoid tangling with other items and ensure a thorough clean.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2025
Dachshund owners are often advised to use ramps in their homes, but this stubborn breed tends to need thorough training before using them consistently.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorough
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Adjective
The Skin category winners are probably the most difficult to choose and definitely the most hotly debated, but after months of thorough testing (and retesting), in the end, our editors came to a consensus on which cleansers, creams, peels, and spot treatments offer the most impressive results.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Face washing allows for thorough cleansing if done properly, which allows the skin to better absorb moisturizers or treatments that may be applied afterwards.
—Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 16 Sep. 2025
Tips for Separating Sheets from Other Laundry Items Wash sheets separately to avoid tangling with other items and ensure a thorough clean.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2025
Dachshund owners are often advised to use ramps in their homes, but this stubborn breed tends to need thorough training before using them consistently.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorough
Cite this Entry
“Thorough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorough. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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