peruse
- 01 C1 Advanced
v.to read or examine something very carefully and in detail.
v.to read or examine with thoroughness and care. This is the traditional and formal sense of the word.
Simple“He spent the afternoon perusing the old documents in the library.”
In context“The legal team spent several days perusing the contract to ensure no hidden clauses would disadvantage their client.”
UsageTakes a direct object.
Teacher's tipIn formal writing and exams, this is the only accepted meaning. Advise students to use it when they mean 'study closely'.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
v.to look through something quickly or casually.
v.to glance over or skim through a text or collection in a casual manner.
Simple“I perused the magazines in the waiting room while I waited for my appointment.”
In context“While perusing the bookstore's new arrivals, she happened upon a rare edition of her favorite novel.”
UsageOften used with 'through'.
Teacher's tipThis is a 'contronym' because it means the opposite of the formal sense. Many careful speakers consider this usage incorrect.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.the act of reading or looking at something.
n.an instance of perusing; a careful or casual examination of a text.
Simple“The report is available for your peruse at the front desk.”
In context“After a quick peruse of the menu, he decided to order the daily special.”
Teacher's tipThe noun form 'perusal' is much more common in standard English; using 'peruse' as a noun is often seen as non-standard or dialectal.
From either Medieval Latin perūtor, perūsitō (“wear out”)) or Anglo-Norman peruser (“use up”)), originally leading to two concurrent meanings, but only those derived from "to examine" survive today. By surface analysis, per- + use.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.