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
Synonyms
Adjective
- absolute
- all-out
- arrant
- blank
- blooming [chiefly British]
- bodacious [Southern & Midland]
- categorical
- categoric
- clean
- complete
- consummate
- crashing
- damn
- damned
- dead
- deadly
- definite
- downright
- dreadful
- fair
- flat
- flat-out
- out-and-out
- outright
- perfect
- plumb
- profound
- pure
- rank
- regular
- sheer
- simple
- stark
- stone
- straight-out
- thoroughgoing
- total
- unadulterated
- unalloyed
- unconditional
- unmitigated
- unqualified
- utter
- very
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 WebHakyung Kim, CNBC, 12 July 2024
After a thorough investigation, an arrest warrant was sought charging Katz with criminal violations, according to police.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 12 July 2024
It should be done after a careful, thorough, and thoughtful consideration of all of the evidence and the strength of evidence.
—Jimmy Jenkins, The Arizona Republic, 11 July 2024
The five-acre spread, with all the latest and greatest in privacy and security measures, underwent a quick but thorough renovation over the last handful of months, according to listings held by Santiago Arana of The Agency.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 11 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for thorough 
Adjective
Readers can also use the stock screener tool to make a more thorough review of the results.
—Hakyung Kim, CNBC, 12 July 2024
After a thorough investigation, an arrest warrant was sought charging Katz with criminal violations, according to police.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 12 July 2024
It should be done after a careful, thorough, and thoughtful consideration of all of the evidence and the strength of evidence.
—Jimmy Jenkins, The Arizona Republic, 11 July 2024
The five-acre spread, with all the latest and greatest in privacy and security measures, underwent a quick but thorough renovation over the last handful of months, according to listings held by Santiago Arana of The Agency.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 11 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for thorough
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thorough.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near thorough
Cite this Entry
“Thorough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorough. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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