Cool MateEntirely vs Thoroughly
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Entirely
Top 2,000 (common)B2adverb
Thoroughly
Top 2,000 (common)B2adverb
| Entirely | Thoroughly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ɪnˈtaɪəli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɪnˈtaɪərli/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈθʌrəli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈθɜːrəli/"]/ |
| Meaning | Completely or fully. | In a detailed and complete way. |
| Example | The experience was **entirely new** to me. | We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | B2 | B2 |
| Part of speech | adverb | adverb |
| Collocations | entirely different, entirely possible, entirely subjective | thoroughly enjoy, thoroughly check, thoroughly understand, thoroughly investigate, thoroughly cleanse |
| Antonyms | partially, incompletely | superficially, partially, incompletely |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'entire' which is an adjective., Used incorrectly in informal contexts, such as in slang., Misplaced in a sentence, making it sound awkward. | Using 'through' instead of 'thoroughly'., Confusing it with 'thorough', which is an adjective., Misplacing it in a sentence or using it in informal contexts. |
| Usage notes | Used to emphasize completeness. Suitable in both spoken and written contexts; however, avoid in overly casual conversations. | Use this word to describe actions done completely and carefully. It's suitable in both speaking and writing. Avoid in casual conversations where simpler words like 'really' or 'very' may be more common. |
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Frequently asked questions: Entirely vs Thoroughly
What's the difference between Entirely and Thoroughly?
Entirely: Completely or fully. Thoroughly: In a detailed and complete way.
Are Entirely and Thoroughly the same CEFR level?
Entirely: B2, Thoroughly: B2 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Entirely and Thoroughly?
Entirely: adverb, Thoroughly: adverb.
Can you show an example of each?
Entirely: The experience was **entirely new** to me. Thoroughly: We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
Can I use Entirely and Thoroughly interchangeably?
Not always. Entirely and Thoroughly are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.