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scrutinize

verb

Simple meaning

To look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

skrootuhnyz

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈskɹutənaɪz

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. To look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail

    “He scrutinized his likeness in the mirror.”

  2. transitive

    To examine something with great care or detail, as to look for hidden or obscure flaws.

  3. transitive

    To audit accounts etc in order to verify them.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
C2 · Proficient
Frequency
Rare
Typical Use
Primarily written

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail

Used this way, scrutinize is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Heard in a sentence
“He scrutinized his likeness in the mirror.”
Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use scrutinize

  • “He scrutinized his likeness in the mirror.”verb

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

carefully scrutinizeclosely scrutinize

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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: to look at critically or searchingly

inspect

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.