peruse
Americanverb (used with object)
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peruses,
present (3rd person singular)
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perused,
past participle, past
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perusing
present participle
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to read through with thoroughness or care.
Make sure you peruse the document before signing.
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to scan or browse: Visitors will be able to peruse artworks by young people across the state.
Sometimes I peruse the magazines near the cash register while waiting to check out.
Visitors will be able to peruse artworks by young people across the state.
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to read.
If romantic plots interest you, consider perusing her latest novel.
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to survey or examine in detail.
We had the opportunity to hear both sides and peruse the evidence.
verb
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to read or examine with care; study
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to browse or read through in a leisurely way
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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perusalnoun
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perusernoun
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preperuseverb (used with object)
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reperuseverb (used with object)
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perusableadjective
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quasi-perusableadjective
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unperusableadjective
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unperusedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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perusesimple
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perusessimple
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have perusedperfect
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has perusedperfect
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am perusingprogressive
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are perusingprogressive
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is perusingprogressive
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have been perusingperfect progressive
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has been perusingperfect progressive
Past
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perusedsimple
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had perusedperfect
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was perusingprogressive
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were perusingprogressive
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had been perusingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of peruse
First recorded in 1470–80 in the sense “use up, go through”; first recorded in 1525–35 for current senses; per- + use
Explanation
Traditionally, peruse has meant to read or examine something carefully. But informally, it can have the opposite meaning, to read something casually and quickly. To understand the two meanings, think about the way people like to talk about doing things thoroughly, even when they aren't. If you are visiting a library or a bookstore, you might find yourself perusing the shelves. Synonyms are browse and skim. Peruse is from Middle English perusen "to use up," from the Latin prefix per- "thoroughly" plus Middle English usen "to use."
Vocabulary lists containing peruse
Romeo and Juliet
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The Hunger Games
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Arguments broke out between residents over the kiosk, which would have allowed them to peruse products via an “easy mode” touch screen, followed by home delivery later.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
But the only architectural feats eliciting "oohs" and "aahs" this autumn morning are of the sponge variety, as enthusiasts peruse the gravity-defying gateaux from the city's gourmands.
From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026
If I’m traveling and visiting family, I’ll peruse their library and borrow something that seems interesting.
From Slate ● Mar. 8, 2026
In 2020, a house hunter in Boise, Ida., could peruse over 20 properties for sale before encountering one listed for $1 million or more.
From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026
My eyes peruse the bank, but there's nothing.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
My wife peruses L.A. condo listings frequently and the two of us have periodically gone with a Los Angeles real-estate agent to see new listings.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 30, 2025
The 17-year-old from Manchester enjoys deciphering the messages behind plates - phrases like YOU 105T are popular - and peruses Facebook groups where different combinations are shared.
From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2025
Anyone who peruses Reddit regularly can’t miss the bots: As one user commented recently, “Pay attention to a lot of the new posts—they all start off the same. ‘
From Slate ● Dec. 27, 2024
They argued that the law unconstitutionally burdens website operators, content creators and anyone who peruses certain corners of the internet.
From Seattle Times ● May 31, 2023
“You have Ethan and Lainie listed here, but not Tante Padva,” he says as he peruses it.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
It’s meant to be picked up, perused and admired.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
"The courts have perused hundreds of pages of documents to reach this decision. For Parliament simply to say the facts are different would be constitutionally really quite extraordinary."
From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2023
“The courts have perused hundreds of pages of documents to arrive at this conclusion. For Parliament simply to say ‘the facts are different’ would be constitutionally really extraordinary,” Sumption told the BBC.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 16, 2023
As I perused all those crazy headlines on Thursday morning, I noticed something curious.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2023
She perused Aviation Week, trying to connect the dots between the latest industry advance and the torrent of numbers flowing through her calculating machine.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Tehran’s streets burst with shoppers perusing markets for flowers, painted eggs and confections for their “haft-sin” table, the traditional spread of seven items symbolizing spring, renewal and prosperity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
It included learning how to speed up tasks like perusing Glassdoor, where people post about their jobs, and suggested the best AI tool for each purpose.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026
One woman perusing the flowers outside the Bondi Pavilion on Sunday admits she is too scared to do that.
From BBC ● Dec. 21, 2025
So next time you’re in the herb aisle, perusing the verdant options, bypass the usual suspects.
From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2025
I nodded, and while Nan went up to the register, I went back to perusing.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
