thoroughly
THUHR-uh-lee
Thoroughly (adv) means In a complete, careful way, leaving nothing undone. Example: “Wash your hands thoroughly with soap before you start preparing the food.”
adv
1
In a complete, careful way, leaving nothing undone.
"Wash your hands thoroughly with soap before you start preparing the food."
"She thoroughly cleaned the kitchen before the guests arrived."
"He thoroughly enjoyed the concert from start to finish."
How to use thoroughly
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCompletely and carefully, in every detail.
Common pairings
thoroughly enjoy
thoroughly clean
thoroughly researched
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like thoroughly.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Comparative
- more thoroughly
- Superlative
- most thoroughly
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Wash your hands _____ with soap before you start preparing the food.
Etymology
From thorough plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for thoroughly
See all rhymes for thoroughly →Frequently asked questions
What does “thoroughly” mean?
The word “thoroughly” means in a complete, careful way, leaving nothing undone. In plain terms, completely and carefully, in every detail.
How do you pronounce “thoroughly”?
“Thoroughly” is pronounced THUHR-uh-lee (/ˈθʌɹ.ə.li/ in IPA).
How do you use “thoroughly” in a sentence?
Here is “thoroughly” used in a sentence: “She thoroughly cleaned the kitchen before the guests arrived.”
What part of speech is “thoroughly”?
“Thoroughly” is an adverb.
Is “thoroughly” a common word?
“Thoroughly” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
What is the difference between thoroughly and completely?
Completely simply means to the full extent, while thoroughly adds the idea of care and attention to detail — a thoroughly cleaned room was cleaned carefully as well as fully. Thoroughly also works as an intensifier meaning "utterly," as in "thoroughly enjoyable."
Is it thoroughly or throughly?
The standard modern spelling is thoroughly. "Throughly" is an archaic form that appears in older texts but is treated as a misspelling in modern English.
What is the difference between thorough and thoroughly?
Thorough is the adjective and describes nouns, as in "a thorough inspection," while thoroughly is the adverb and modifies verbs or adjectives, as in "inspect it thoroughly." If you could substitute "careful," use thorough; if you could substitute "carefully" or "completely," use thoroughly.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include thoroughly:
