thorough
thorough — adjective
1. done with very close attention to every part or step, making sure nothing is lef
done with very close attention to every part or step, making sure nothing is left out or forgotten.
The head teacher gave the school's safety records a thorough check before the inspection.
collocation: thorough check / thorough inspection
Nikhil interviewed every stallholder for his thorough report on the market's history.
A thorough cleaning of the kitchen meant scrubbing the oven and wiping every shelf.
The mechanic did a thorough inspection of the car's engine, brakes, and tyres.
Élise asked such thorough questions that she uncovered facts nobody else had found.
- meticulous
even greater attention to tiny details, often with a suggestion of fussiness
- painstaking
emphasises the effort and care put into the work
- exhaustive
implies nothing has been left out; often used for lists, research, or searches
- systematic
highlights an organised, step-by-step method rather than just carefulness
- slapdash
done carelessly or too quickly
- superficial
only looking at the surface, not the details
文法句型
be thorough (in/with something)
a thorough + noun
用法筆記
Frequently paired with nouns that describe work, study, or investigation — a thorough search, a thorough review, thorough research. In predicative position (after 'be'), it often takes 'in' or 'with': 'You should be more thorough in your preparation.'
常見錯誤
2. used before an abstract noun to emphasise that something is total or extreme in
used before an abstract noun to emphasise that something is total or extreme in degree, especially when it is negative or undesirable — for example, a thorough mess, a thorough nuisance, or a thorough disgrace.
The project became a thorough mess after the team lost its main data files.
intensifier: a thorough mess (negative noun)
After losing his wallet and missing the last train, Amir called the evening a thorough disaster.
Andrés called the delay a thorough nuisance that had ruined his weekend plans.
The street party was a thorough success, with neighbours dancing until late in the evening.
- partial
only part of something, not the whole degree
文法句型
a thorough + noun (abstract)
用法筆記
This sense is almost always attributive (before a noun) and cannot be used predicatively: you can say 'a thorough disgrace' but NOT ✗ 'the disgrace was thorough' with this meaning. The nouns it modifies are usually abstract (mess, nuisance, pleasure, success, disgrace, waste). When used with a positive noun (pleasure, success), it carries a slightly old-fashioned or emphatic tone.
常見錯誤
thorough — adverb
1. a now-obsolete spelling variant of the adverb 'through', meaning from one side o
a now-obsolete spelling variant of the adverb 'through', meaning from one side or end to the other.
A medieval pilgrim walked thorough the muddy lanes of Canterbury, pausing at every shrine along the route.
archaic spelling variant of 'through'
The royal messenger rode thorough the night without stopping until he reached the castle gates.
A fifteenth-century diary describes walking thorough the crowded market square.
A seventeenth-century traveller recorded that he had ridden thorough the valley without stopping.
用法筆記
This is no longer part of modern English. Learners should use 'through' instead. You will encounter this form only in historical or literary texts from earlier centuries.
thorough — preposition
1. a now-obsolete spelling variant of the preposition 'through', indicating movemen
a now-obsolete spelling variant of the preposition 'through', indicating movement from one side to the other or passage within a space.
A young apprentice ran thorough the narrow streets of London, clutching a letter for the master tailor.
archaic preposition equivalent to modern 'through'
A 1600s travel diary records the journey 'thorough the great forest of Arden'.
The old letter describes a ship sailing thorough the English Channel in heavy fog.
A 1620 charter describes a right of way leading thorough the churchyard to the river.
用法筆記
This form is not used in modern English. Always write 'through' for the preposition. The spelling 'thorough' survives today only as an adjective.