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Thorough vs Throughly - What's the difference?

thorough | throughly |

As an adjective thorough

is painstaking and careful not to miss or omit any detail.

As a preposition thorough

is through.

As a noun thorough

is a furrow between two ridges, to drain off the surface water.

As an adverb throughly is

thoroughly, completely.

thorough

English

Etymology 1

(etyl) .

Alternative forms

* thoro

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • painstaking and careful not to miss or omit any detail
    • The Prime Minister announced a thorough investigation into the death of a father of two in police custody.
    He is the most thorough worker I have ever seen.
    The infested house needs a thorough cleansing before it will be inhabitable.
  • utter; complete; absolute
    • It is a thorough pleasure to see him beg for mercy.
    Derived terms
    * thoroughbred * thoroughgoing * thoroughly

    Etymology 2

    A disyllabic form of (etyl) .

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • (obsolete) Through.
  • * , II.xii:
    • Ye might haue seene the frothy billowes fry / Vnder the ship, as thorough them she went [...].
  • * 1599 , , V. i. 109:
    • You are contented to be led in triumph / Thorough the streets of Rome?

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (UK, dialect) A furrow between two ridges, to drain off the surface water.
    • (Halliwell)

    throughly

    English

    Alternative forms

    * thruly

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • Thoroughly, completely.
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , II.7:
    • The whiles he steru'd with hunger and with drouth / He daily dyde, yet neuer throughly dyen couth.
  • * c. 1610 , (William Shakespeare), , III.2:
    • The next advantage / Will we take throughly .
  • * :
    • Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, / And cleanse me from my sin.