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
archaic
: through
Examples of thorough in a Sentence
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
Mark Holgate, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2025
Before starting an application server migration, ensure the middleware provider offers comprehensive migration resources and conducts a thorough review of your current architecture.
—Steve Millidge, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Diagnosis Exams typically begin with a thorough medical history because there is a genetic component to wet AMD, and other health factors can raise your risk.
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 7 Apr. 2025
This primarily involves regular and thorough toothbrushing, flossing, and dental visits.
—Mark Gurarie, Health, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorough
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Adjective
The manual work process was as impressive as the thorough understanding of quality choices.
—Mark Holgate, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2025
Before starting an application server migration, ensure the middleware provider offers comprehensive migration resources and conducts a thorough review of your current architecture.
—Steve Millidge, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Diagnosis Exams typically begin with a thorough medical history because there is a genetic component to wet AMD, and other health factors can raise your risk.
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 7 Apr. 2025
This primarily involves regular and thorough toothbrushing, flossing, and dental visits.
—Mark Gurarie, Health, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorough
Cite this Entry
“Thorough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorough. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
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