thoroughly

adverb

thor·​ough·​ly ˈthər-(ˌ)ō-lē How to pronounce thoroughly (audio)
 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

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
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.
Before the Lunar New Year In preparation for the Lunar New Year, houses are thoroughly cleaned to drive away any bad luck from the previous year. Jennifer Borresen, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2025 Her book will thoroughly inform those affected by the disease, touching on all that happens before a child is born with sickle cell and extending all the way to finding — or conceiving — a bone marrow donor. Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025 The team may need to evaluate the situation thoroughly and potentially sit Jurgens anyway. James Brizuela, Newsweek, 26 Jan. 2025 Perhaps slightly more explicit and definitely more feminist, but thoroughly goofy in its exploration of the proclivities of the title characters. Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for thoroughly 

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thoroughly was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near thoroughly

Cite this Entry

“Thoroughly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thoroughly. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

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