Cool MateFully vs Thoroughly
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Fully
Top 2,000 (common)B2adverb
Thoroughly
Top 2,000 (common)B2adverb
| Fully | Thoroughly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈfʊli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈfʊli/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈθʌrəli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈθɜːrəli/"]/ |
| Meaning | completely or totally | In a detailed and complete way. |
| Example | I **fully understand** your motives. | 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 | fully aware, fully prepared, fully understand, fully loaded, fully engage | thoroughly enjoy, thoroughly check, thoroughly understand, thoroughly investigate, thoroughly cleanse |
| Antonyms | partially, incompletely, slightly | superficially, partially, incompletely |
| Common mistakes | Using 'fully' in place of 'very' which is not always correct., Confusing 'fully' with 'fill' in terms of spelling., 'Fully' is sometimes misused in contexts where 'entirely' or 'completely' fit better. | 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 | Use 'fully' to emphasize that something is done to the highest degree. Avoid using it in very casual speech where simpler words like 'really' may be preferred. | 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. |
Frequently asked questions: Fully vs Thoroughly
What's the difference between Fully and Thoroughly?
Fully: completely or totally Thoroughly: In a detailed and complete way.
Are Fully and Thoroughly the same CEFR level?
Fully: B2, Thoroughly: B2 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Fully and Thoroughly?
Fully: adverb, Thoroughly: adverb.
Can you show an example of each?
Fully: I **fully understand** your motives. Thoroughly: We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
Can I use Fully and Thoroughly interchangeably?
Not always. Fully 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.