thorough
1 of 3adjective
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
thorough
2 of 3preposition
archaic
: through
thorough
3 of 3adverb
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
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 Tara Kangarlou, Time, 19 Sep. 2022 The police department said a thorough investigation was being conducted by an outside agency and that the department’s own internal affairs unit would conduct a separate investigation. Andrew Selsky, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Aug. 2022 Ventosilla’s family is calling for a more thorough investigation. Tat Bellamy-walker, NBC News, 26 Aug. 2022 The story kicks off when they are forced to do a thorough investigation in the prison to save their jobs and prevent the hierarchy and drug trade from dominating the workplace within three months. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 23 Aug. 2022 Note that not all pain actually has an identifiable cause even with thorough investigation from the healthcare provider. Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 4 Aug. 2022 Joni Money said a thorough investigation determined the husband fatally shot his wife and then himself. Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 2 Aug. 2022 The merger is likely to face a thorough investigation from the Biden administration’s antitrust regulators, who have taken an aggressive stand against corporate consolidation, especially in industries already dominated by a few businesses. New York Times, 28 July 2022 In May 2021, Science published the open letter from Worobey and researchers at Harvard, Yale, Stanford and other leading institutions that called for a more thorough investigation. Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2022 See More
Adjective
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has directed the Minister of Interior to oversee a thorough investigation into Amini’s death. Tara Kangarlou, Time, 19 Sep. 2022 The police department said a thorough investigation was being conducted by an outside agency and that the department’s own internal affairs unit would conduct a separate investigation. Andrew Selsky, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Aug. 2022 Ventosilla’s family is calling for a more thorough investigation. Tat Bellamy-walker, NBC News, 26 Aug. 2022 The story kicks off when they are forced to do a thorough investigation in the prison to save their jobs and prevent the hierarchy and drug trade from dominating the workplace within three months. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 23 Aug. 2022 Note that not all pain actually has an identifiable cause even with thorough investigation from the healthcare provider. Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 4 Aug. 2022 Joni Money said a thorough investigation determined the husband fatally shot his wife and then himself. Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 2 Aug. 2022 The merger is likely to face a thorough investigation from the Biden administration’s antitrust regulators, who have taken an aggressive stand against corporate consolidation, especially in industries already dominated by a few businesses. New York Times, 28 July 2022 In May 2021, Science published the open letter from Worobey and researchers at Harvard, Yale, Stanford and other leading institutions that called for a more thorough investigation. Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Preposition, Adjective, and Adverb
Middle English thorow, from Old English thurh, thuruh, preposition & adverb
First Known Use
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Preposition
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Adverb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing thorough
Kids Definition
thorough
adjective
thor·ough ˈthər-ō
1
: being such to the fullest degree : complete
a thorough search
2
: careful about little things
a thorough worker
thorough
adjective
1
as in complete
having no exceptions or restrictions had thorough access to the files for her research Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- complete
- simple
- unconditional
- sheer
- utter
- pure
- very
- total
- absolute
- definite
- thoroughgoing
- perfect
- damned
- damn
- outright
- profound
- clean
- deadly
- regular
- real
- downright
- unadulterated
- fair
- consummate
- categorical
- unmitigated
- huge
- dreadful
- unqualified
- endless
- constant
- unalloyed
- stark
- plumb
- stone
- genuine
- crashing
- blank
- straight-out
- blooming
- categoric
- all-out
- rank
- arrant
- authentic
- flat-out
- out-and-out
- bodacious
- horrible
- flat
- terrible
- perpetual
- veritable
- unremitting
- dead
- eternal
- classic
- extreme
- terrific
- extraordinary
- unrestricted
- supreme
- superlative
- confirmed
- hopeless
- undying
- main
- habitual
- inveterate
- frightful
- surpassing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- questionable
- qualified
- doubtful
- dubious
- uncertain
- restricted
- equivocal
2
as in detailed
including many small descriptive features thorough analysis of the current crisis in Asia Synonyms & Similar Words
- detailed
- full
- comprehensive
- accurate
- elaborate
- descriptive
- particular
- particularized
- complete
- circumstantial
- minute
- blow-by-blow
- entire
- exhaustive
- precise
- specific
- vivid
- thoroughgoing
- itemized
- copious
- graphic
- in-depth
- explicit
- inclusive
- panoramic
- encyclopedic
- delineated
- abundant
- specified
- correct
- listed
- exhausting
- inventoried
- distinct
- enumerated
- graphical
- omnibus
- replete
- numerated
- picturesque
- exact
- sharp
- inclusionary
- mapped (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- summary
- concise
- succinct
- brief
- compendious
- short
- pithy
- terse
- crisp
- compact
- cut
- abbreviated
- vague
- trimmed
- curtailed
- abridged
- ambiguous
- general
- sketchy
- broad
- shortened
- pruned
- indeterminate
- overall
- nebulous
- nondescript
- nonspecific
- unspecified
- bird's-eye
3
as in comprehensive
trying all possibilities a thorough search of the office that turned up no evidence of wrongdoing Synonyms & Similar Words
- comprehensive
- extensive
- complete
- exhaustive
- sweeping
- thoroughgoing
- systematic
- clean
- total
- methodical
- in-depth
- full-scale
- wide
- all-out
- general
- broad
- inclusive
- wide-ranging
- methodic
- out-and-out
- far-reaching
- global
- unhampered
- no-holds-barred
- unrestrained
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- haphazard
- random
- cursory
- desultory
- superficial
- aimless
- slipshod
- shallow
- limited
- hit-or-miss
- narrow
- restricted
4
as in extensive
covering everything or all important points a very thorough textbook on respiratory disorders Synonyms & Similar Words
- comprehensive
- extensive
- full
- complete
- panoramic
- exhaustive
- inclusive
- in-depth
- encyclopedic
- compendious
- global
- general
- embracive
- omnibus
- cyclopedic
- universal
- broad
- broad-gauged
- vast
- all-embracing
- all-inclusive
- overall
- large
- wide
- cover-all
- broad-gauge
- all-in
- sweeping
- far
- catholic
- inclusionary
- wide-ranging
- cosmic
- panoptic
- indiscriminate
- encyclical
- far-reaching
- blanket
- unrestricted
- cosmical
- grand
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- specialized
- limited
- precise
- narrow
- specific
- restricted
- individual
- exact
- circumscribed
- incomplete
- singular
- sketchy
- patchy