scrutinise

scrutinise — verb

1. to look at or check every part of something in great detail, especially to find

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to look at or check every part of something in great detail, especially to find mistakes or understand the truth about it.

Example

Sirin scrutinised every line of the contract before she signed it.

scrutinise + noun phrase for careful review before action

The editor scrutinised the article for spelling mistakes and factual errors.

scrutinise + for + noun phrase indicating what is checked

Common collocations
  • scrutinise carefully
  • scrutinise closely
  • scrutinise every detail
  • scrutinise a document
  • scrutinise a report
  • scrutinise someone's face
Synonyms
  • examine

    more general; scrutinise suggests greater depth and thoroughness

  • inspect

    often implies checking against official standards or requirements

  • analyse

    focuses on breaking into parts to understand structure; scrutinise focuses on detailed visual or surface-level checking

  • study

    less formal and often implies prolonged attention rather than minute checking

Antonyms
  • glance at

    to look quickly without attention to detail

  • skim

    to read or look over quickly, missing the details

Grammar Patterns

scrutinise + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently used in formal, written contexts such as journalism, legal review, or academic analysis. The object is most often a document, report, piece of evidence, or someone's actions.

Common Mistakes

I scrutinised the TV show for fun.
I scrutinised the contract for hidden fees.
'scrutinise' implies serious, detailed checking, not casual or light-hearted watching.
She scrutinised at the painting for an hour.
She scrutinised the painting for an hour.
'scrutinise' is transitive and takes a direct object; no preposition is needed.
We need to scrutinise if the data is correct.
We need to scrutinise the data to check if it is correct.
'scrutinise' requires a noun object, not a clause.

Word family

  • scrutiny
    nounB2
  • scrutinising
    adjectiveC1
  • scrutiniser
    nounC1
  • scrutinisingly
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

While all four words involve looking at something with attention, 'scrutinise' is the most intense and detail-focused. 'Examine' is the broadest term, covering everything from a doctor's check-up to a teacher's review of homework. 'Inspect' adds the idea of checking against a standard — an inspector inspects a building for safety regulations. 'Analyse' involves breaking a subject into its parts to understand relationships, so it is more intellectual than visual. 'Study' suggests sustained, patient attention over time rather than a sharp, minute-by-minute search. For example, you examine a patient, inspect a fire extinguisher, analyse a company's finances, and study for an exam — but you scrutinise a fingerprint or a contract clause.

examine ↗inspect ↗analyse ↗study ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • scrutinise every aspect of
  • scrutinise in detail
  • come under scrutiny

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

From Late Latin 'scrutinium' meaning 'a search, an examination', which came from Latin 'scrutari' meaning 'to search, to examine thoroughly', originally 'to search among rubbish' from 'scruta' ('rubbish, trash'). The '-ise' (or American '-ize') suffix turns the noun into a verb. The word entered English in the early 1600s, initially carrying the sense of a careful search or inquiry.