First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1thorough
preposition thor·ough \ˈthər-(ˌ)ō, sometimes ˈthȯr-; ˈthə-(ˌ)rō\
Definition of THOROUGH
archaic : through
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Origin of THOROUGH
Middle English thorow, from Old English thurh, thuruh, preposition & adverb
2thorough
adverb thor·ough \ˈthər-(ˌ)ō, sometimes ˈthȯr-; ˈthə-(ˌ)rō\
Definition of THOROUGH
archaic : through
Origin of THOROUGH
(see 1thorough)
First Known Use: before 12th century
3thorough
adjective thor·ough \ˈthər-(ˌ)ō, sometimes ˈthȯr-; ˈthə-(ˌ)rō\
: including every possible part or detail
: careful about doing something in an accurate and exact way
: complete or absolute
Full Definition of THOROUGH
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>
— thor·ough·ly adverb
— thor·ough·ness noun
See thorough defined for English-language learners
See thorough defined for kids
Examples of THOROUGH
- … 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
- … as I look into their black faces, their hope is so thorough and consuming it frightens me. —Bob Shacochis, Harper's, February 1995
- [+]more
Origin of THOROUGH
(see 1thorough)
First Known Use: 15th century
Related to THOROUGH
- Synonyms
- all-out, arrant, blank, blooming [chiefly British], bodacious [Southern & Midland], categorical (also categoric), clean, complete, consummate, cotton-picking, 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, absolute, thoroughgoing, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unconditional, unmitigated, unqualified, utter, very
- Antonyms
- compendious, summary
THOROUGH Defined for Kids
thorough
adjective thor·ough \ˈthər-ō\
Definition of THOROUGH for Kids
1
: being such to the fullest degree : complete <a thorough search>
2
: careful about little things <a thorough worker>
— thor·ough·ly adverb
— thor·ough·ness noun
Learn More About THOROUGH
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