through
through
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "through" is /θruː/.
/θruː/ (single syllable)
/θ/: voiceless dental fricative
/r/: alveolar approximant
/uː/: close back rounded vowel
Word Form Variations
The word "through" does not have variations for singular, plural, verb tenses, or comparative/superlative forms. It primarily functions as a preposition, adverb, or adjective.
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Preposition
Definition 1: Moving in one side and out of the other side of an opening, enclosure, or something similar.
Synonyms: across, past, into and out of
Antonyms: around, outside, away from
Definition 2: From the beginning to the end of a period of time, an event, or a process.
Synonyms: throughout, during, for the duration of
Antonyms: beginning of, end of, at the start of
Definition 3: By means of; as a result of; by the agency of.
Synonyms: via, by, thanks to, by way of
Antonyms: without, apart from, independently of
Definition 4: Having finished or completed something.
Synonyms: done with, finished, completed
Antonyms: unfinished, incomplete, starting
Adverb
Definition 1: From one side or end to the other.
Synonyms: across, right through, completely
Antonyms: partially, halfway
Definition 2: To the end or conclusion of an action or process.
Synonyms: to completion, all the way, thoroughly
Antonyms: incompletely, partially
Adjective
Definition 1: Having completed a task, activity, or relationship. (Often used predicatively)
Synonyms: finished, done, concluded, over
Antonyms: ongoing, unfinished, incomplete
Examples of Use
Books:
"The hobbits journeyed through the treacherous Mirkwood Forest, their spirits buoyed only by the thought of reaching the Lonely Mountain." (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit)
Newspapers:
"The new legislation aims to push the bill through parliament before the summer recess." (The Guardian)
Online Publications:
"How a small startup broke through the noise to secure a major investment round." (TechCrunch)
Entertainment - Film:
"She ran her fingers through her hair, a nervous habit she’d had since childhood." (Dialogue from a recent Netflix drama)
Entertainment - Music:
"And I will make it through the rain, I will stand up once again." (Mariah Carey, "Make It Through The Rain," November 1999)
Entertainment - Video Games:
"Guide your character through a series of challenging puzzles to unlock the next level." (In-game tutorial text from a popular puzzle game)
General Public Discourse:
"We need to work through these challenges together to achieve our goals." (Statement by a community leader at a public forum)
General Public Discourse:
"Are you through with that book? I'd like to borrow it." (Everyday conversation)
Online Platforms - Social Media:
"Just made it through my final exams! Feeling relieved." (Tweet)
Online Platforms - Educational:
"Students can access course materials through the university's online learning portal." (University website)
10 Quotes Using Through
"If you're going through hell, keep going." (Winston Churchill)
"A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work." (Colin Powell)
"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." (Helen Keller)
"I shall pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again." (Stephen Grellet)
"For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love." (Carl Sagan)
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." (Arthur Schopenhauer)
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'" (Eleanor Roosevelt)
"Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope." (Josh Billings)
"It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through." (Zig Ziglar)
"Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music." (Jimi Hendrix)
Etymology
The word "through" has a long history, going back to Old English, which was spoken before the year 1150. It comes from the Old English word "þurh" (you can imagine the "þ" as a "th" sound).
This Old English word, "þurh," itself has even older roots. It can be traced back to a very old language called Proto-Germanic (an ancestor of languages like German, Dutch, and English), where it was something like "þurhw", meaning "through."
Going back even further, scholars believe it comes from a Proto-Indo-European root, "terh₂-", which meant "to pass through" or "to cross over." This shows that the basic idea of "moving from one side to the other" has been around for a very, very long time in the history of languages.
So, the first known use and meaning of "through" was essentially the same as its most basic meaning today: moving from one side or end to the other. For example, if you imagined someone walking through a forest, that's the core idea that has persisted for over a thousand years. Over time, the spelling changed, and it developed more meanings like "during" or "by means of," but the central concept of "passing from one point to another" has always been there.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Through
Go through with something: To complete or perform something, often despite reluctance.
See something through: To complete a task or project.
Get through to someone: To make someone understand something.
Through and through: Completely; entirely.
Come through: To succeed or be successful; to survive a difficult situation.
Go through the motions: To do something in a routine or unenthusiastic way, without genuine effort or involvement.
Through thick and thin: Under all circumstances, no matter how difficult.
Through no fault of one's own: Not responsible for a bad outcome or situation.
Through the grapevine: By word of mouth, informally, as in "I heard it through the grapevine."
Cut through the red tape: To deal with bureaucratic procedures quickly and efficiently.
Look through someone: To fail to acknowledge or notice someone, often intentionally.
Fall through: To fail to happen or be completed.
Muddle through: To manage to do something or deal with something without great skill or difficulty.
Blaze a trail through: To be the first to do something, opening the way for others.
Run through: To quickly review or rehearse something; to spend money quickly.
See something through rose-colored glasses: To view something in an overly optimistic or idealized way.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of through from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
