read

1 of 3

verb

ˈrēd 

read ˈred  ; reading ˈrē-diŋ 

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to receive or take in the sense of (letters, symbols, etc.) especially by sight or touch

(2)

: to study the movements of with mental formulation of the communication expressed

read lips

(3)

: to utter aloud the printed or written words of

read them a story

b

: to learn from what one has seen or found in writing or printing

c

: to deliver aloud by or as if by reading

specifically : to utter interpretively

d(1)

: to become acquainted with or look over the contents of (something, such as a book)

(2)

: to make a study of

read law

(3)

: to read the works of

e

: to check (something, such as copy or proof) for errors

f(1)

: to receive and understand (a voice message) by radio

(2)

: understand, comprehend

2

a

: to interpret the meaning or significance of

read palms

b

: foretell, predict

able to read his fortune

3

: to recognize or interpret as if by reading: such as

a

: to learn the nature of by observing outward expression or signs

reads him like a book

b

: to note the action or characteristics of in order to anticipate what will happen

a good canoeist reads the rapids

a golfer reading a green

also : to predict the movement of (a putt) by reading a green

c

: to anticipate by observation of an opponent's position or movement

read a blitz

4

a

: to attribute a meaning to (something read) : interpret

how do you read this passage

b

: to attribute (a meaning) to something read or considered

read a nonexistent meaning into her words

5

: to use as a substitute for or in preference to another word or phrase in a particular passage, text, or version

read hurry for harry

—often used to introduce a clarifying substitute for a euphemistic or misleading word or phrase

a friendly, read nosy, coworker

6

: indicate

the thermometer reads zero

7

: to interpret (a musical work) in performance

8

a

: to acquire (information) from storage

especially : to sense the meaning of (data) in recorded and coded form

—used of a computer or data processor

A compiler is a program that translates instructions written by a human programmer into more specific codes that can be directly read by a computer.

—John Markoff

b

: to read the coded information on (something, such as a CD)

I had a minor problem with the disk drive in that the machine would not read the disk the first time it was powered up each day but had to be turned off and back on again.

—Robert Moskowitz

intransitive verb

1

a

: to perform the act of reading words : read something

b(1)

: to learn something by reading

(2)

: to pursue a course of study

2

a

: to yield a particular meaning or impression when read

b

: to be readable or read in a particular manner or to a particular degree

this book reads smoothly

3

: to consist of specific words, phrases, or other similar elements

a passage that reads differently in older versions

read

2 of 3

adjective

ˈred 

: instructed by or informed through reading

read

3 of 3

noun

ˈrēd 

1

chiefly British : a period of reading

it was a night … for a read and a long sleep

—William Sansom

2

: something (such as a book) that is read

a novel that's a good read

3

: the action or an instance of reading

Phrases

read between the lines

: to understand more than is directly stated

read the riot act

1

: to order a mob to disperse

2

a

: to order or warn to cease something

b

: to protest vehemently

c

: to reprimand severely

Synonyms

Verb

• scan
• peruse
• review
• skim
• study

Examples of read in a Sentence

Verb

She learned to read at a very early age.

I can't read your handwriting.

He likes reading the newspaper.

She reads a lot of mystery novels.

She starts work every day by reading her e-mail.

Didn't you read the instructions?

Please read from Chapter 5 through Chapter 10.

He read the poem aloud.

He wrote down the address I gave him and read it back to me.

Her mother read to her every night at bedtime.

Noun

He reviewed the book after several reads.

She was lying in bed having a peaceful read.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The prudent way forward ought then to be to read today’s many swirling war stories with greater acuity—or even to learn how to write an altogether different story. —Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025

This is the web version of CEO Daily, a newsletter of must-read global insights from CEOs and industry leaders. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2025

Adjective

Your pile of to-be-read books just turned into the easiest, most whimsical decor trend yet. —Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025

Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 165°F and sauce has thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. —Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2025

Noun

Just right there — that’s an actor’s dream at a table read. —Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025

On the data side, the Conference Board releases its latest read on consumer confidence. —Jeff Marks, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English reden "to counsel, order, decide, guide, govern, realize, grasp the meaning of, interpret, explain, teach, look at and understand (written symbols), say aloud (something written)," going back to Old English rǣdan, (non-West Saxon) rēdan "to rule, direct, decide, deliberate, counsel, suppose, guess, expound the meaning of (as a riddle or dream), look at and understand (written symbols), say aloud (something written)," going back to Germanic *rēdan- (whence also Old Frisian rēda "to advise, protect, help, plan, decide," Old Saxon rādan "to consult, guess, take care of, counsel," Old High German rātan "to advise, deliberate, assist," Old Icelandic ráða "to advise, counsel, decide, determine, plan, rule, explain, interpret," Gothic garedan "to make provision for," fauragarairoþ "[s/he] predestined"), going back to an Indo-European verbal base *(H)reh₁d^h- "carry through successfully," whence also Sanskrit rādhati "will bring about," rādhnóti "(s/he) achieves, prepares, satisfies," Avestan rādat̰ "will make right"; from a causative *(H)roh₁d^h-éi̯e-, Gothic rodjan "to speak, talk," Old Icelandic ræða "to speak, converse," Old Irish ráidid "(s/he) speaks, says, tells," imm-rádi "(s/he) thinks, reflects," Welsh adroddaf "(I) utter, say, relate," Old Church Slavic neraždǫ, neraditi "to have no care for, take no heed of" (also neroždǫ, neroditi), radi "for the sake of," Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian ráditi "to work, do," Lithuanian ródyti "to show"

Note: Old English rǣdan was a Class VII strong verb, with evidence of reduplication (past tense reord), though also conjugated as a weak verb; by the Middle English period evidence for strong conjugation is vestigial. The expected outcome of Anglian rēdan would be *reed, reflecting Middle English close long e; the predominance of read, reflecting open long e, is perhaps due to interference from outcomes of Germanic *raidja- (see ready entry 1). This is essentially the conclusion of the Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, which assembles a number of presumed outcomes of *raidja- under a somewhat shadowy verb rede, the inflected forms of which can be difficult to distinguish from redd and rid (see redd entry 1, rid). — As is evident from the number of glosses, the Old and Middle English verbs covered a remarkably broad range of meanings. Those senses not having to do with the act of reading are now mostly represented by the spelling rede in Modern English (see rede). Though the sense "interpret" is evident in Old Norse, adaptation of this verb to refer to visual processing of written language is peculiar to Old English (and hence to Modern English); to express this idea other Germanic languages, excepting Gothic, have adapted, either by inheritance or loan, outcomes of the verb *lesan- "to gather, select," presumably as a calque on Latin legere (see legend). — A confusingly broad spectrum of meanings also characterizes the verb's Indo-European congeners, while the formal similarities are close. The gloss "carry through successfully" for *(H)reh₁d^h- ("erfolgreich durchführen") in Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2. Ausgabe, applies best only to the Indo-Iranian forms.

Adjective

from past participle of read entry 1

Noun

noun derivative of read entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Adjective

1586, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing read

• beach read
• lip-read
• read into
• read lips
• read minds
• read my lips
• read-only
• read-only memory
• read out
• read over
• read (someone) like a book
• read someone's mind
• read someone's palm
• read someone's thoughts
• read through
• read up on
• see/read the writing/handwriting on the wall
• sight-read
• take (something) as read
• well-read

Rhymes for read

• bed
• bled
• bread
• bred
• dead
• dread
• ed
• fed
• fled
• ged
• head
• lead

Kids Definition

read

1 of 2 verb

ˈrēd 

read ˈred  ; reading ˈrēd-iŋ 

1

a

: to go over and take in and understand the meaning of letters or symbols

learn to read

read braille

can you read decimals

I can't read your writing

b

: to study the movements of (a speaker's lips) and so understand what is being said

c

: to speak aloud written or printed words

read us a story

d

: to go over and take in the contents of

reading a book

e

: to understand the written form of

reads Spanish

f

: to be able to be read

2

: to learn from what one has seen in writing or printing

read about the fire

3

a

: to discover or figure out the meaning of

read palms

b

: foretell, predict

able to read his fortune

c

: to watch carefully in order to tell what will happen

reading the rapids while canoeing

4

: to show by numbers or letters

the thermometer reads zero

5

a

: to acquire data or information

a scanner reads the bar code

b

: to send to or get from storage

read your program back in

read

2 of 2 adjective

ˈred 

: taught or informed by reading

a well-read person

Biographical Definition

Read 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

ˈrēd 

George 1733–1798 American statesman in Revolution

Read

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Sir Herbert 1893–1968 English writer