Do You Know What Peruse Means?

If we asked you what the word peruse means, what would you say?

If you defined peruse as “to read something in a relaxed way or skim” you would be right.

But if you said “To read something carefully or in detail” you would also be right.

According to Merriam-Webster:
“Peruse can mean ‘to read something in a relaxed way, or skim’ and can also mean ‘to read something carefully or in detail.’ It is what is known as a contronym, a word having two meanings that contradict one another. There are numerous examples of these in English, including sanction, oversight, and dust. If you use peruse simply take care that your intended meaning is made clear by the context.”

So there you have and now you know… assuming you took the time to really peruse this post and didn’t just quickly peruse it.

Oh, the joys of the English language. We’ve spoken it all our lives and we are still learning. And learning is one of those things your Two Chums think makes life so much more abundant!