Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

well-read

American  
[wel-red] / ˈwɛlˈrɛd /

adjective

  1. having read extensively (sometimes followed byin ).

    well-read in oceanography.
well-read British  
/ ˈwɛlˈrɛd /

adjective

  1. having read widely and intelligently; erudite

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Bailey chalks this hesitancy up to education, but Motta says it’s not just that, noting that many pet parents today are well-read.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

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

Mrs Clements described her brother as "a kind man, who was well-read and loved his movies and music."

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2023

“But they’re brilliant. Most well-read, the smartest Wayans, smartest hands down.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2023

They were obviously cut from the same well-read, well-bred, lunatic cloth.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

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.