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
-
to read or examine with care; study
-
to browse or read through in a leisurely way
Other Word Forms
- perusable adjective
- perusal noun
- peruser noun
- preperuse verb (used with object)
- quasi-perusable adjective
- reperuse verb (used with object)
- unperusable adjective
- unperused adjective
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
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
Then there is the bewildering volume of files now available for the conspiracy-minded to peruse in search of clues and secret codes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 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
“There. If you can find your name on that list, you are welcome to peruse the stacks at your leisure.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
