“I'll just peruse the document quickly and get back to you.”
Misused Entry 279 / 1011 60-second read
Peruse vs. Skim
Peruse means to read carefully and thoroughly — most people think it means the opposite.
The comparisoni
“I'll just skim the document quickly and get back to you.”
More examplesii
01
Just peruse the terms — it won't take long.
Just skim the terms — it won't take long.
02
I'll peruse your email quickly and respond.
I'll skim your email quickly and respond.
03
She quickly perused the lengthy legal document.
She carefully perused the lengthy legal document — every word mattered.
04
I perused a few books at the bookstore but didn't find anything.
I browsed a few books at the bookstore but didn't find anything.
05
Have a peruse through these options and pick one.
Have a browse through these options and pick one.
06
Students were told to peruse the material before the exam.
Students were told to peruse the material carefully before the exam. (This is actually correct!)
The ruleiii
¶
PERUSE = to read or examine carefully and thoroughly.
Somehow 'peruse' became associated with casual browsing. The word sounds breezy, but it actually means the opposite — deep, careful reading.
Memory aidiv
Remember it like this
PERUSe — think PERfect, thorough USE of your attention. That's perusal. Skimming is quick and shallow.