reading 1 of 2

noun

ˈrē-diŋ How to pronounce reading (audio)
Definition of readingnext
1
as in interpretation
a presentation of an artistic work (as a piece of music) from a particular point of view a very bizarre reading of one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies by an alternative theater company

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in lesson
something assigned to be read or studied make sure you do the assigned reading for tonight

Synonyms & Similar Words

reading

2 of 2

verb

present participle of read
1
as in scanning
to go over and mentally take in the content of he always reads the newspaper in the morning as he eats breakfast

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in predicting
to tell of or describe beforehand the psychic claimed to be able to read his future

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of reading
Noun
However, the air quality reading in East Rutherford, where the stadium is situated, has been slightly lower than that in New York City, according to AirNow. — Leon Imber, New York Times, 17 July 2026 That earlier picture made a ton of money, and The Odyssey clearly has even broader appeal as an epic poem that many, many people encountered as required reading. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 July 2026
Verb
Kelce's vows were equally long, bringing the vow reading alone to well over half an hour. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 6 July 2026 Wearables have been reading the human body for more than a decade, counting steps, monitoring heart rate and alerting users when something seems off. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for reading
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reading
  1. interpretation
  2. lesson
  3. scanning
  4. predicting
  5. version
  6. assignment
  7. perusing
  8. rendition
Noun
  • The company managed to drastically ramp up its production process and produce all 200 hours of interpretations in a span of two months.
    — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 20 July 2026
  • Similarly, Germany's goal versus Paraguay was overturned by VAR's interpretation of an obstruction rule, sparking debate over human judgment rather than factual data.
    — Renana Ashkenazi, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of interpretation
Noun
  • The goal is to reduce digital interruptions, improve students’ engagement with classroom lessons, increase face-to-face interactions and reduce conflicts that play out on social media during school hours.
    — Elizabeth Dowdell, Fortune, 15 July 2026
  • Those battlefield lessons are now reshaping procurement decisions across Europe.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 15 July 2026
Definition of lesson
Verb
  • But then, before too long, this evolved from just scanning the track to having the thought of holding a real-world race there.
    — Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 16 July 2026
  • Aiir’s software reduces that workload by scanning inspection footage before presenting possible findings to the technician.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 15 July 2026
Definition of scanning
Verb
  • As a result, Kalshi and Polymarket’s World Cup contracts have shown mixed accuracy in predicting match outcomes.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 17 July 2026
  • Efforts to mitigate the risks include habitant management, detecting and predicting wildlife moments, and keeping the animals away.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Definition of predicting
Noun
  • But Westfalia puts some creativity to work on this version, lifting the bed higher than usual to create a true second level, accessed via three steps.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 July 2026
  • Some of it is just an extreme version of your grandmother who used to futilely pat the bottom of her chin to fix that waddle.
    — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
Definition of version
Noun
  • None of these books are Pulitzer Prize winners or future AP English assignments.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2026
  • Pitcher Drew Thorpe began a rehab assignment Saturday with the Arizona Complex League White Sox.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
Definition of assignment
Verb
  • Some users such as Courey are also perusing the platform to buy, sell and lease farmland.
    — Lizzie Kane July 18, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026
  • Don’t Hesitate to Ask the Bookseller Questions One of the great joys of perusing a bookstore is having a dedicated resource right there in the form of the bookseller.
    — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 15 July 2026
Definition of perusing
Noun
  • This rendition of Cats—which recently won three Tony Awards—has frequently been described as the way Cats should have been from the start, and all but the purists will likely agree.
    — Madison Flager, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 July 2026
  • What this rendition of the Miami Heat is missing is a player such as Khris Middleton, the secondary scoring option, who happened to be a clutch shot maker during the Bucks’ championship run.
    — Omar Kelly July 16, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
Definition of rendition

Browse Nearby Words

readiness
reading
reading out
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reading. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on reading

Nglish: Translation of reading for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about reading

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of stalwart

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All