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.
So when the lawyer suggested Forrest had been the initial aggressor, his old bandmate was thoroughly pissed. Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2025 At his age, Jones thoroughly believes exercise is essential to living a full, healthy life — not just physically, but mentally. Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 7 June 2025 Add the eggs and whisk vigorously until thoroughly combined and the mixture becomes slightly frothy and light yellow. Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 6 June 2025 The Colosseum, the Pantheon, and the Baroque squares make Rome an open-air museum that deserves to be explored thoroughly, step by step. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 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

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Cite this Entry

“Thoroughly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thoroughly. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

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