Definition

1. Verb:

   • To look at and comprehend the meaning of written or printed matter: The primary action of interpreting written symbols to understand their meaning.
   • To speak aloud written or printed words: The act of vocalizing text.
   • To interpret or understand the meaning of something: To deduce meaning from signs, symbols, or behavior.
   • To indicate or register information: For an instrument or display to show a particular measurement or value.
   • To study a subject at university: To be a student of a particular academic discipline.

2. Noun:

   • An act or period of reading: The activity or a specific instance of reading.
   • Something that is read, especially a text considered for its quality: A piece of writing, such as a book or article, often judged by how enjoyable it is to read.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • She likes to read novels before bed. (She enjoys looking at and comprehending novels.)
  • Could you read this paragraph aloud? (Could you speak the words in this paragraph?)
  • I can read the disappointment on his face. (I can interpret the disappointment from his facial expression.)
  • The thermometer reads 25 degrees Celsius. (The thermometer shows a value of 25 degrees.)
  • He is reading history at Oxford. (He is studying history as a university subject.)

• Noun:

  • I settled down for a quiet read. (I settled down for a period of reading.)
  • His latest book is a fascinating read. (His latest book is a fascinating piece of writing to read.)

Advanced Usage

• "to read into something": to attribute a meaning that is not explicitly stated.

  • You're reading too much into her casual remark. (You are attributing excessive hidden meaning to her casual remark.)

• "to read up on something": to study or learn about a subject by reading.

  • I need to read up on the new tax laws. (I need to study the new tax laws by reading about them.)

• "to read over/through something": to read something from beginning to end, often quickly or for review.

  • Please read over the contract before signing. (Please review the contract by reading it.)

Variants and Related Words

• Reader (n): a person who reads; a device or software for reading electronic files.
  • She is an avid reader of science fiction.
• Readable (adj): (of text) clear and easy to read; (of a book) enjoyable to read.
  • The report is concise and readable.
• Reading (n): the action or skill of reading; an interpretation; a figure shown by a meter.
  • His reading of the poem was moving.

Synonyms

• Peruse: to read something, typically in a thorough or careful way.
• Scan: to look over or read quickly.
• Decipher: to succeed in understanding or interpreting something.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Read out: to read something aloud.
  • The teacher read out the names of the winners.
• Read off: to read items from a list aloud, one after the other.
  • She read off the ingredients from the recipe.
• Read back: to read something aloud to check its accuracy, often after it has been written down.
  • Could you read that number back to me?

Related Idioms

• Read between the lines: to look for or understand a hidden or implied meaning.
  • His letter was polite, but if you read between the lines, he was very angry.
• Read someone like a book: to understand someone's thoughts and motives very easily.
  • After 20 years of marriage, she can read him like a book.
• Read the riot act: to reprimand or warn someone severely.
  • The manager read them the riot act after the failed project.

Noun

1. something that is read
   • the article was a very good read

Verb

1. make sense of a language
   • She understands French
   • Can you read Greek?
2. to hear and understand
   • I read you loud and clear!
3. audition for a stage role by reading parts of a role
   • He is auditioning for `Julius Caesar' at Stratford this year
4. indicate a certain reading; of gauges and instruments
   • The thermometer showed thirteen degrees below zero
   • The gauge read `empty'
5. be a student of a certain subject
   • She is reading for the bar exam
6. interpret something in a certain way; convey a particular meaning or impression
   • I read this address as a satire
   • How should I take this message?
   • You can't take credit for this!
7. interpret the significance of, as of palms, tea leaves, intestines, the sky; also of human behavior
   • She read the sky and predicted rain
   • I can't read his strange behavior
   • The fortune teller read his fate in the crystal ball
8. obtain data from magnetic tapes
   • This dictionary can be read by the computer
9. look at, interpret, and say out loud something that is written or printed
   • The King will read the proclamation at noon
10. have or contain a certain wording or form
    • The passage reads as follows
    • What does the law say?
11. interpret something that is written or printed
    • read the advertisement
    • Have you read Salman Rushdie?