Definitions

thorough

[thur-oh, thuhr-oh] / ˈθɜr oʊ, ˈθʌr oʊ /

ADJECTIVE

all-encompassing

Synonyms

STRONGEST

accurate careful complete comprehensive detailed exhaustive full intensive meticulous painstaking profound

WEAK

absolute arrant consummate exact extreme finished ingrained out-and-out thoroughly unmitigated utter

Antonyms

STRONGEST

careless incomplete incomprehensive needy thoughtless undetailed unfinished

WEAK

cursory partial sciolistic superficial

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Justice Department said it conducted a thorough investigation into the deal and decided it would likely be good for competition.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said it was "too early to speculate" on the cause of the crash while vowing "a thorough investigation ... to ensure that lessons are learnt".

From Barron's • Jun. 20, 2026

She has a long and thorough career securing money for diabetes research.

From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026

Based on Del Toro’s thorough feedback, the filmmakers recut the film and even animated new scenes.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026

That means I’ll probably be getting a thorough checkup soon.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Vocabulary lists containing thorough

"Earth and Space"

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

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Everything, Everything

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