well-read
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of well-read
First recorded in 1590–1600
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.
When Alice Lockey, a well-read lady’s maid to an aristocrat, meets the bookish Charlie, a valet, the match seems meant to be.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
The disturbing thing is that it’s a question whose answer, to any well-read observer, is uncertain at best.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
At the time, he spoke about “going from ignorance and denial to complete unconditional love and acceptance” and praised Kai as “brilliant” and the “most well-read, the smartest Wayans.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2025
There were a handful of others, but all followed the same pattern of being erstwhile intelligent, well-read people, successful in their professional spheres, who went down the rabbit hole.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2024
She was very smart, and extremely well-read, but she wasn’t after intellectual pursuits in the same way the Horner girls were.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
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.
