# peruse

/pɝˈuz/ (US) · /pəɹˈuːz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/peruse
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to read carefully

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to read or examine something very carefully and in detail.

For teachers: to read or examine with thoroughness and care. This is the traditional and formal sense of the word.

- He spent the afternoon perusing the old documents in the library.
- The legal team spent several days perusing the contract to ensure no hidden clauses would disadvantage their client.

Usage: Takes a direct object.

Teaching tip: In formal writing and exams, this is the only accepted meaning. Advise students to use it when they mean 'study closely'.

### 2. to skim or browse

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to look through something quickly or casually.

For teachers: to glance over or skim through a text or collection in a casual manner.

- I perused the magazines in the waiting room while I waited for my appointment.
- While perusing the bookstore's new arrivals, she happened upon a rare edition of her favorite novel.

Usage: Often used with 'through'.

Teaching tip: This is a 'contronym' because it means the opposite of the formal sense. Many careful speakers consider this usage incorrect.

### 3. an act of reading

noun · CEFR C2 · Informal · Dialect

the act of reading or looking at something.

For teachers: an instance of perusing; a careful or casual examination of a text.

- The report is available for your peruse at the front desk.
- After a quick peruse of the menu, he decided to order the daily special.

Teaching tip: The noun form 'perusal' is much more common in standard English; using 'peruse' as a noun is often seen as non-standard or dialectal.

## Examples

- I need to peruse the contract before I sign it.
- The legal team spent the entire afternoon perusing the evidence to find any inconsistencies in the witness statements.
- Before the final submission, the author insisted on perusing every chapter for grammatical errors and stylistic inconsistencies, a task that took several weeks of dedicated effort.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.