Thoroughly — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adverb /ˈthər-(ˌ)ō-lē/ thor·ough·ly

Meaning & Definition of Thoroughly

Thoroughly (adverb)

  1. in a complete or thorough manner, to a complete or thorough extent

Thoroughly (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. with attention to all aspects or details

    "they researched the issue thoroughly before deciding how to vote"

    similar: completely, comprehensively, detailedly, exhaustively, fully, inside out, minutely, roundly, sweepingly, systematically, 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

  2. to a full extent or degree

    "I am thoroughly satisfied with her explanation of the events of that evening"

    similar: all, all of, all over, altogether, clean, completely, dead, enough, entire, entirely, even, exactly, fast, flat, full, fully, heartily, out, perfectly, plumb (chiefly dialect), quite, soundly, 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

Related Entry: Thorough (adjective)

Thorough is a different word from Thoroughly. The synonyms below are for thorough, not for thoroughly.

  1. having no exceptions or restrictions

    "had thorough access to the files for her research"

    similar: absolute, all-out, arrant, blank, blooming (chiefly British), bodacious (Southern & Midland), categorical, 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
    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

  2. including many small descriptive features

    "thorough analysis of the current crisis in Asia"

    similar: blow-by-blow, circumstantial, detailed, elaborate, full, minute, particular, particularized
    related: enumerated, inventoried, itemized, listed, numerated, delineated, specific, specified, abundant, copious, comprehensive, encyclopedic, exhausting, exhaustive, inclusionary, inclusive, in-depth, omnibus, panoramic, thoroughgoing, accurate, correct, exact, precise, complete, entire, replete, distinct, explicit, sharp, mapped (out), descriptive, graphic, picturesque, vivid
    opposite: compendious, summary
    near: brief, compact, concise, crisp, pithy, short, succinct, terse, abbreviated, abridged, curtailed, cut, pruned, shortened, trimmed, ambiguous, indeterminate, nebulous, nondescript, sketchy, vague, bird's-eye, broad, general, nonspecific, overall, unspecified

  3. trying all possibilities

    "a thorough search of the office that turned up no evidence of wrongdoing"

    similar: all-out, clean, complete, comprehensive, exhaustive, full-scale, out-and-out, 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

  4. covering everything or all important points

    "a very thorough textbook on respiratory disorders"

    similar: all-embracing, all-in (chiefly British), all-inclusive, broad-gauge, compendious, complete, comprehensive, cover-all, cyclopedic, embracive, encyclopedic, exhaustive, full, global, in-depth, inclusive, omnibus, panoramic, 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

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Thoroughly

The most common words with a similar meaning to Thoroughly:

Chiefly dialect: plumb
completely, comprehensively, detailedly, exhaustively, fully, inside out, minutely, roundly, sweepingly, systematically, through and through, totally, all, all of, all over, altogether, clean, dead, enough, entire, entirely, even, exactly, fast, flat, full, heartily, out, perfectly, quite, soundly, utterly, well, wholly, wide, at length, from stem to stern, from the ground up, in detail, all the way

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Thoroughly

Words with the opposite meaning of Thoroughly:

half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially, partly

Related Words for Thoroughly

meticulously, microscopically, all out, full blast, intensively, broadly, encyclopedically, extensively, generally, globally, widely, conclusively, consummately, definitely, absolutely, categorically, cold, downright, hands down, plain, stone, stone-cold, unqualifiedly, basically, by and large, chiefly, largely, mainly, more or less, mostly

Near Antonyms of Thoroughly

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

Origin & Etymology of Thoroughly

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Thoroughly

Frequently Asked Questions about Thoroughly

What does "Thoroughly" mean?

"Thoroughly" means in a complete or thorough manner, to a complete or thorough extent. As an adverb, it is defined as: in a complete or thorough manner, to a complete or thorough extent. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Thoroughly"?

Other words for "Thoroughly" include completely, comprehensively, detailedly, exhaustively, fully, inside out, minutely and roundly. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Thoroughly" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Thoroughly"?

There are 89 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Thoroughly". Common alternatives include completely, comprehensively, detailedly, exhaustively, fully, inside out, minutely, roundly, sweepingly and systematically.

What is the opposite of "Thoroughly"?

Antonyms of "Thoroughly" include half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially and partly. Near antonyms include aimlessly, desultorily, haphazardly and hit or miss.

How do you use "Thoroughly" in a sentence?

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".

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

"Thoroughly" is an adverb.

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

As a B2-level word, "Thoroughly" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Thoroughly"?

"Thoroughly" is pronounced /ˈthər-(ˌ)ō-lē/ and divided into syllables as thor·ough·ly.