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
David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025
In return, give this non-toxic plant bright indirect sunlight and a thorough watering whenever the top inch of soil feels dry.
—Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 17 Jan. 2025
For a thorough immersion into the unique flora of the region, a trip to Alerce Andino National Park allows guests to hike beneath towering Patagonian cypress trees, all while keeping an eye out for native mammals like the southern pudú, a tiny, forest-dwelling deer.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
With nearly a decade of expertise, she’s known for her thoughtful and thorough point of view.
—Claire Sullivan, WWD, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for thorough 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
The upcoming game will utilize the power of modern consoles to display thousands of enemies on the screen and retell Romance of the Three Kingdoms in a more thorough manner.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025
In return, give this non-toxic plant bright indirect sunlight and a thorough watering whenever the top inch of soil feels dry.
—Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 17 Jan. 2025
For a thorough immersion into the unique flora of the region, a trip to Alerce Andino National Park allows guests to hike beneath towering Patagonian cypress trees, all while keeping an eye out for native mammals like the southern pudú, a tiny, forest-dwelling deer.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
With nearly a decade of expertise, she’s known for her thoughtful and thorough point of view.
—Claire Sullivan, WWD, 15 Jan. 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 21 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share