Cool MateCompletely vs Through and through
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Completely
Top 1,000 (very common)A2adverb
Through and through
Top 3,000 (common)
Most common: Completely
| Completely | Through and through | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/kəmˈpliːtli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/kəmˈpliːtli/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //θruː ənd θruː//🇺🇸 //θru ənd θru// |
| Meaning | Totally or fully. | Completely; in every part. |
| Example | I completely forgot about the meeting today. | She is a dog lover through and through. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 3,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | A2 | - |
| Part of speech | adverb | |
| Collocations | completely agree, completely understand, completely satisfied, completely different, completely unaware | loyal through and through, honest through and through, committed through and through, passionate through and through, dedicated through and through |
| Antonyms | partially, incompletely, somewhat | - |
| Common mistakes | Using 'completely' without a verb or action., Confusing 'completely' with 'totally' in formal contexts., Saying 'completely' in casual situations where simpler words like 'really' might fit better. | Used too literally instead of metaphorically., Confused with 'through' as a direction., Incorrectly worded as 'through and throughs'. |
| Usage notes | Use 'completely' to emphasize the totality of an action or state. It's suitable for both spoken and written English but might sound overemphasized in casual conversation. | "Through and through" is often used in informal contexts to emphasize totality, such as in personality descriptions. It may not be appropriate in very formal writing. |
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Frequently asked questions: Completely vs Through and through
What's the difference between Completely and Through and through?
Completely: Totally or fully. Through and through: Completely; in every part.
Which is more common: Completely and Through and through?
Completely is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Completely: I completely forgot about the meeting today. Through and through: She is a dog lover through and through.
Can I use Completely and Through and through interchangeably?
Not always. Completely and Through and through 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.