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 Web
Alexandra Banner, CNN, 11 Feb. 2025
Start with a thorough vacuuming using a clean upholstery attachment to remove dust, hair, and other debris from the mattress surface.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2025
After thorough investigation, the problem was traced to a simple o-ring, which the engineers knew had an issue.
—Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
After today's win in court, this case will now proceed to a very thorough discovery process and President Trump is committed to seeing this case through to a just conclusion.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for thorough 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Experts say some packages have been caught up in the confusion and could still be sitting with customs, where they were set to undergo a more thorough inspection.
4.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 11 Feb. 2025
Start with a thorough vacuuming using a clean upholstery attachment to remove dust, hair, and other debris from the mattress surface.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2025
After thorough investigation, the problem was traced to a simple o-ring, which the engineers knew had an issue.
—Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
After today's win in court, this case will now proceed to a very thorough discovery process and President Trump is committed to seeing this case through to a just conclusion.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for thorough
Dictionary Entries Near thorough
Cite this Entry
“Thorough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorough. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
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