through and through

What it means

'Through and through' means completely, entirely, or to the very core. It's used to emphasize that someone or something is something in every part of their nature, not just on the surface. The phrase often follows a noun describing identity, character, or condition.

Examples

• She's a New Yorker through and through, even after twenty years abroad.
• I got caught in the storm and was soaked through and through by the time I got home.
• He's an honest man through and through, you can trust whatever he tells you.
• This novel is a love story through and through, romance on every page.

Where it comes from

An old English intensifier dating back to the Middle Ages, formed by repeating the word 'through' to suggest something penetrated from one side completely to the other. It appears in Chaucer's writing and has stayed in use ever since.

Related idioms