peruse
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
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.
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
It is increasingly becoming a social network, where users go to peruse work by multiple authors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 1, 2026
She flipped it open and began to peruse the table of contents.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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.
