thoroughgoing

adjective

thor·​ough·​go·​ing ˌthər-ə-ˈgō-iŋ 

ˌthə-rə-,

-ˈgȯ(-)iŋ

: marked by thoroughness or zeal : thorough, complete

thoroughgoing changes

a thoroughgoing traditionalist

thoroughgoingly adverb

Synonyms

• absolute
• all-out
• arrant
• blank
• blooming [chiefly British]
• bodacious [Southern & Midland]
• categorical
• categoric
• clean
• complete
• consummate
• crashing
• damn
• damned
• dead
• deadly
• definite
• downright
• dreadful
• fair
• flat
• flat-out
• out-and-out
• outright
• perfect
• plumb
• profound
• pure
• rank
• regular
• sheer
• simple
• stark
• stone
• straight-out
• thorough
• total
• unadulterated
• unalloyed
• unconditional
• unmitigated
• unqualified
• utter
• very

Examples of thoroughgoing in a Sentence

civil rights advocates are hoping for a thoroughgoing rejection of the proposed bill

a thoroughgoing attempt to solve the puzzle and still no luck

Recent Examples on the Web

Deftly translated from the French by Natasha Lehrer, this début novel offers a thoroughgoing inventory of French complicity with the crimes of Nazi occupiers during the Second World War. —Leslie Camhi, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024

To this day, Channel One’s thoroughgoing bias (and the viewing public’s motivations for watching) has remained unchanged. —Ellen Mickiewicz, Foreign Affairs, 6 Feb. 2014

Still, the sport, with its pronounced hierarchies, its emphasis on discipline, and its fairly thoroughgoing machismo, is arguably coded as conservative. —Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2024

The United States needs a more thoroughgoing and systematic approach to educational improvement. —Jal Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 3 Apr. 2013

Word History

First Known Use

1719, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

thoroughgoing

adjective

thor·​ough·​go·​ing ˌthər-ə-ˈgō-iŋ 

ˌthə-rə-

: thorough sense 1, complete

thoroughgoing cooperation