Meaning & use
pored over
Last updated
“pored over” is a form of “pore”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbtransitive
Read or study something with great care and attention over a period of time.
Grammar: Takes an object: pore over a document. The object usually comes after over.
Patterns
- pore over something
- pore over a book/document/map
She pored over the contract for hours before signing it.
He pored over his notes the night before the exam.
The detective pored over the photographs, looking for any small clue.
Word forms
| third person singular | pores over |
|---|---|
| past tense | pored over |
| past participle | pored over |
| present participle | poring over |
Common combinations
- pore over a document
- The lawyer pored over the document late into the night.
- pore over a map
- We pored over the map to find the shortest route.
- pore over details
- She pored over the details of the plan, checking every number.
- pore over books
- He pored over old books in the library, searching for the answer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- scrutinize
- Scrutinize means to examine very closely and critically; it is more formal and can suggest suspicion, while pore over often suggests careful, absorbed reading.
- study
- Study is a more general word for spending time learning about something; pore over emphasizes the intense, focused attention on a text or document.
- examine
- Examine means to look at something carefully to learn about it; pore over is used mostly for reading or looking at written or detailed material.
Opposites
Word family
- pore verb
- The base form meaning to read or study with great attention, usually followed by over.
Commonly confused: pored over or pour?
pored over vs pour
Pour means to make a liquid flow, and is pronounced the same as pore in many accents. The idiom is pore over (study), not pour over, though 'pour over' can mean to pour liquid on something.
Practice
She ______ the report all weekend to prepare for the meeting.
Choose one answer.
The correct phrase is 'pored over', meaning studied with great attention. 'Poured over' would mean poured liquid on, and 'on' is not the preposition used with this idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pored over”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.