proofread
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
proofreadsimple
-
proofreadssimple
-
have proofreadperfect
-
has proofreadperfect
-
am proofreadingprogressive
-
are proofreadingprogressive
-
is proofreadingprogressive
-
have been proofreadingperfect progressive
-
has been proofreadingperfect progressive
Past
-
proofreadsimple
-
had proofreadperfect
-
was proofreadingprogressive
-
were proofreadingprogressive
-
had been proofreadingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of proofread
1930–35; back formation from proofreader ( see proof, read 1)
Explanation
To proofread is to look over a piece of writing for errors, watching out for spelling mistakes and grammar problems. If you don’t proofread your work, you might write “ham” instead of “harm” and confuse the heck out of your reader. By the time you proofread a piece of writing, it should be almost done. It’s the very last step of the writing process after drafting, editing, and revising. To proofread is to look at the little details of a piece of writing, such as spelling, word choice, formatting, and sentence structure. When you proofread, you look for errors and fix them. You can proofread your own work, but sometimes it’s good to get someone else to proofread what you've written.
Vocabulary lists containing proofread
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Language and Grammar - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Journalism
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
It’s a clear no, with the only exceptions being when editors use A.I. to proofread their writing or translate foreign-language entries.
From Slate ● Apr. 1, 2026
Kaspar did a Q&A for the Sophia’s Cure YouTube channel from the Gaynors’ dining room and proofread posts Vincent wrote for the charity’s website.
From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2025
It was so terribly boring that even I could not proofread it without falling asleep.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2025
A nurse hadn’t proofread carefully and mistakenly sent the message.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 12, 2024
She asked me to proofread her introduction; it was fine, really tap-quality work.
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
Scheduling should include time for rewrites, proofreads and secondary reads by friends, colleagues and family members, experts say.
From Nature ● Dec. 19, 2019
Between homework and scholarship applications, Huynh said she usually proofreads her dad’s emails, checking for accurate grammar and punctuation. He keeps a notebook with key vocabulary terms and phrases by his computer to learn daily.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 26, 2018
He also proofreads the game program and can recall statistics, with savant-like accuracy, from Oregon Tech victories 20 years ago.
From New York Times ● Feb. 23, 2012
On the train, she makes more calls and proofreads documents.
From Time Magazine Archive
Instead, she is increasingly offered work proofreading machine-generated translations.
From Barron's ● May 27, 2026
Human editors then adapt the generated copy to something that the real Al Michaels might say spontaneously, while proofreading the text for any typos—especially those pertaining to athlete names.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2024
The team have made their CNN accessible, providing a user-friendly graphical user interface that integrates targeted augmentation, streamlining the process into a comprehensive pipeline, from manual annotation to final proofreading.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 5, 2023
Or someone changing text after the proofreading was finished?
From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2023
Now he had to struggle to say something that interested her, something that made her look up from her plate, or from her proofreading files.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
