look through carefully

peruse

verb|/pəˈruːz/

Read or examine carefully and thoroughly

Examples

In a meeting

Please peruse the contract before our meeting tomorrow.

Over coffee

I like to peruse the menu before the waiter comes over.

Why this word

read

Peruse traditionally means to read carefully and thoroughly, while read is neutral about attentiveness

examine

Peruse specifically refers to careful reading of text, while examine is broader inspection of anything

scan

Peruse means to read with care and attention, while scan implies quick, superficial reading

Usage tip

Use when you want to indicate careful, thorough reading rather than skimming

Etymology

Latin 'per' (through, completely) + 'use' (to use)

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