Definition Detail: Peruse
“Peruse” is one of those 50-cent words that we love to drop in communications to make ourselves sound smarter. But does the word really mean what we think it does? Test your knowledge.
“Peruse” means . . .
To glance over, skim.
To read or examine with great care
Both of the above
None of the above
And the right answer is . . . option three, "Both of the above." “Peruse,” according to Merriam-Webster, can mean "to read something in a relaxed way, or skim," or "to read something carefully or in detail." This kind of word is what is called a “contronym,” or a word with two meanings that contradict one another. In use since the 1500s, “peruse” originally meant "to read thoroughly," but by extension it also came to mean “to read” and then “to glance over, skim.” For this reason, if you use “peruse,” take care to make clear your intended meaning by the context. Another reason to take care with this word, as language authority Bryan Garner says, is that “peruse” is frequently used as a fancy substitute for “read” and can come off as pompous.