Completely — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb /kəm-ˈplēt/ com·plete

Meaning & Definition of Completely

Completely (adjective)

  1. having all necessary parts, elements, or steps
  2. containing all essential amino acids
  3. total, absolute

Completely (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to a full extent or degree

    "she waited until we were completely finished before starting the next part"

    similar: all, all of, all over, altogether, clean, dead, enough, entire, entirely, even, exactly, fast, flat, full, fully, heartily, out, perfectly, plumb (chiefly dialect), quite, soundly, thoroughly, through and through, totally, utterly, well, wholly, wide, all the way, at length, down the line, down to the ground, for fair, in whole, to bits, to pieces, to the hilt, to the max
    related: absolutely, categorically, cold, downright, hands down, plain, stone, stone-cold, unqualifiedly, basically, by and large, chiefly, generally, largely, mainly, more or less, mostly, overall, predominantly, predominately, primarily, principally, substantially, abundantly, copiously, generously, greatly
    opposite: half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially, partly
    near: barely, hardly, just, kind of, marginally, minimally, scarcely, slightly, superficially, approximately, roughly, somewhat

  2. with attention to all aspects or details

    "an allegation that was completely investigated and found to be groundless"

    similar: comprehensively, detailedly, exhaustively, fully, inside out, minutely, roundly, sweepingly, systematically, thoroughly, through and through, totally, at length, from stem to stern, from the ground up, in detail
    related: meticulously, microscopically, all out, full blast, intensively, broadly, encyclopedically, extensively, generally, globally, widely, conclusively, consummately, definitely, perfectly
    near: aimlessly, desultorily, haphazardly, hit or miss, randomly, cursorily, imperfectly, inadequately, narrowly, shallowly, sketchily, summarily, superficially, indeterminately, nebulously, vaguely

Related Entry: Complete (adjective)

Complete is a different word from Completely. The synonyms below are for complete, not for completely.

  1. not lacking any part or member that properly belongs to it

    "a complete deck of cards"

    similar: compleat, comprehensive, entire, full, grand, intact, integral, perfect, plenary, total, whole
    related: unabridged, uncut, undiminished, all-out, exhaustive, extensive, maximal, full-blooded, full-blown, full-bore, full-fledged, full-on, full-out, full-scale
    opposite: imperfect, incomplete, partial
    near: abbreviated, abridged, cut, diminished, reduced

  2. brought or having come to an end

    "your education is never complete—there's always something more to learn"

    similar: completed, concluded, done, down, ended, finished, over, over with, terminated, through, up, out of hand, out of the way
    related: accomplished, achieved, attained, compassed, realized, dead, defunct, extinct, kaput, obsolete, expired
    opposite: continuing, incomplete, ongoing, uncompleted, undone, unfinished

  3. covering everything or all important points

    "will present complete coverage of the tennis tournament"

    similar: all-embracing, all-in (chiefly British), all-inclusive, broad-gauge, compendious, comprehensive, cover-all, cyclopedic, embracive, encyclopedic, exhaustive, full, global, in-depth, inclusive, omnibus, panoramic, thorough, universal
    related: broad, catholic, encyclical, general, inclusionary, overall, cosmic, extensive, far, far-reaching, grand, large, panoptic, sweeping, vast, wide, wide-ranging, blanket, indiscriminate, unrestricted
    near: circumscribed, limited, narrow, restricted, specialized, exact, precise, individual, singular, specific, incomplete, patchy, sketchy

  4. having no exceptions or restrictions

    "he's a complete genius"

    similar: absolute, all-out, arrant, blank, blooming (chiefly British), bodacious (Southern & Midland), categorical, clean, 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, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unconditional, unmitigated, unqualified, utter, very
    related: authentic, classic, genuine, real, veritable, constant, endless, eternal, perpetual, undying, unremitting, extreme, unrestricted, confirmed, habitual, hopeless, inveterate, extraordinary, frightful, horrible, huge, main, superlative, supreme, surpassing, terrible, terrific
    near: doubtful, dubious, equivocal, qualified, questionable, restricted, uncertain

  5. trying all possibilities

    "a complete search of the computer file"

    similar: all-out, clean, comprehensive, exhaustive, full-scale, out-and-out, thorough, thoroughgoing, total
    related: broad, extensive, far-reaching, in-depth, sweeping, wide, wide-ranging, general, global, inclusive, methodical, systematic, no-holds-barred, unhampered, unrestrained
    near: aimless, desultory, haphazard, hit-or-miss, random, cursory, shallow, slipshod, superficial, limited, narrow, restricted

  6. having or showing exceptional knowledge, experience, or skill in a field of endeavor

    "a riding school that will teach you all skills required of the complete equestrian"

    similar: accomplished, ace, adept, compleat, consummate, crack, crackerjack, educated, experienced, expert, good, great, master, masterful, masterly, practiced, professed, proficient, skilled, skillful, versed, veteran, virtuoso
    related: adroit, clever, deft, dexterous, handy, slick, sure-handed, gifted, talented, polished, refined, effective, effectual, efficient, workmanlike, able, capable, competent, employable, fit, fitted, habile, qualified, knowledgeable, schooled, taught, trained, tutored, all-around, well-rounded, long-term, old, multiskilled, multitalented
    opposite: amateur, amateurish, inexperienced, inexpert, jackleg, unprofessional, unseasoned, unskilled, unskillful
    near: incapable, incompetent, inept, unable, unfit, unfitted, unqualified, weak, artless, crude, rude, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient, talentless, ungifted, untalented, ignorant, unschooled, untaught, untrained, untutored, beginning, green, inexperienced, new, raw, unseasoned, untested, untried, would-be, primitive, rough, unpolished, awkward, clumsy, ham-fisted, ham-handed, heavy-handed

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Completely

The most common words with a similar meaning to Completely:

Chiefly dialect: plumb
all, all of, all over, altogether, clean, dead, enough, entire, entirely, even, exactly, fast, flat, full, fully, heartily, out, perfectly, quite, soundly, thoroughly, through and through, totally, utterly, well, wholly, wide, comprehensively, detailedly, exhaustively, inside out, minutely, roundly, sweepingly, systematically, all the way, at length, down the line, down to the ground, for fair

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Completely

Words with the opposite meaning of Completely:

half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially, partly

Related Words for Completely

absolutely, categorically, cold, downright, hands down, plain, stone, stone-cold, unqualifiedly, basically, by and large, chiefly, generally, largely, mainly, more or less, mostly, overall, predominantly, predominately, primarily, principally, substantially, abundantly, copiously, generously, greatly, meticulously, microscopically, all out

Near Antonyms of Completely

barely, hardly, just, kind of, marginally, minimally, scarcely, slightly, superficially, approximately, roughly, somewhat, aimlessly, desultorily, haphazardly, hit or miss, randomly, cursorily, imperfectly, inadequately, narrowly, shallowly, sketchily, summarily, indeterminately, nebulously, vaguely

Word Forms of Completely

Inflections: completer, completest

Derived words: completely (adverb), completeness (noun), completive (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Completely

Middle English complet, compleet, complete, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French complet, borrowed from Latin complētus, past participle of complēre "to fill, make up, carry to completion," from com- com- + plēre "to fill" full:1

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Completely

Frequently Asked Questions about Completely

What does "Completely" mean?

"Completely" means having all necessary parts, elements, or steps. As an an adjective and an adverb, it is defined as: having all necessary parts, elements, or steps. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Completely"?

Other words for "Completely" include all, all of, all over, altogether, clean, dead, enough and entire. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Completely" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Completely"?

There are 89 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Completely". Common alternatives include all, all of, all over, altogether, clean, dead, enough, entire, entirely and even.

What is the opposite of "Completely"?

Antonyms of "Completely" include half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially and partly. Near antonyms include barely, hardly, just and kind of.

How do you use "Completely" in a sentence?

Examples of "Completely" in a sentence: "she waited until we were completely finished before starting the next part"; "an allegation that was completely investigated and found to be groundless".

Is "Completely" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Completely" can be used as an adjective and an adverb, depending on the context.

Is "Completely" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Completely" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Completely"?

"Completely" is pronounced /kəm-ˈplēt/ and divided into syllables as com·plete.