perused; perusing
1
2
: read
especially
: to read over in an attentive or leisurely manner
peruser
noun
Examples of peruse in a Sentence
To refresh my memory of the old days, I asked for some Dailies of the thirties from the morgue, sat down at the large round oak table at the end of the editorial room on the second floor, and began riffling through the musty pages. Soon a burly middle-aged man appeared and seated himself at the table to peruse some recent issues of the paper and take notes.
—
Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987
I've even found myself idly perusing the Yellow Pages, not frantic for a plumber, just browsing.
—Lesley Conger, Writer, October 1968
Bessie asked if I would have a book … , and I begged her to fetch Gulliver's Travels from the library. This book I had again and again perused with delight.
—Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847
He perused the newspaper over breakfast.
perused the manuscript, checking for grammatical errors
Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987
I've even found myself idly perusing the Yellow Pages, not frantic for a plumber, just browsing.
—Lesley Conger, Writer, October 1968
Bessie asked if I would have a book … , and I begged her to fetch Gulliver's Travels from the library. This book I had again and again perused with delight.
—Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847
He perused the newspaper over breakfast.
perused the manuscript, checking for grammatical errors
Recent Examples on the Web
Guests perused the library and adjoining galleries while enjoying cocktails and a fun card game of chance.
—Roxanne Robinson, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
An artisan marketplace gives festival-goers a chance to peruse and purchase apparel, toys, glass art, pottery, leather and metal goods, jewelry, paintings, edible treats and sculptures and other creations to mark their time in the Renaissance era.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Featured in this article Read more about our Amazon favorites and peruse our top choices for Prime Day deals on furniture, mattresses, sheets, and bath towels too.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 16 Sep. 2025
Other shoppers perused a display of traditional sake casks or purchased T-shirts celebrating neighborhood artisans—paper-makers; a bakery specializing in melonpan, a crispy sweet bun—as drum-and-flute music from Asakusa’s annual festival played over the sound system.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for peruse
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Roxanne Robinson, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
An artisan marketplace gives festival-goers a chance to peruse and purchase apparel, toys, glass art, pottery, leather and metal goods, jewelry, paintings, edible treats and sculptures and other creations to mark their time in the Renaissance era.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Featured in this article Read more about our Amazon favorites and peruse our top choices for Prime Day deals on furniture, mattresses, sheets, and bath towels too.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 16 Sep. 2025
Other shoppers perused a display of traditional sake casks or purchased T-shirts celebrating neighborhood artisans—paper-makers; a bakery specializing in melonpan, a crispy sweet bun—as drum-and-flute music from Asakusa’s annual festival played over the sound system.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for peruse
Cite this Entry
“Peruse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peruse. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
peruse
verb
pe·ruse
pə-ˈrüz 
perused; perusing
: read entry 1 sense 1a
especially
: to read carefully or thoroughly
peruser
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share