WELL-READ Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

well-read

adjective

ˈwel-ˈred

Definition of well-read

as in literate

having or displaying advanced knowledge or education any well-read person would recognize the quotation

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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 well-read The stars were well-read and well-spoken, and academically motivated, some graduating in three years. — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026 Alison Taylor, a professor of business and society at NYU’s Stern School of Business said being deeply well-read is becoming something of a luxury good—rare, valuable, and impossible to fake. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026 Heeding these cryptic words some three decades later, the audacious (and well-read) impresario Tony Wilson opened the Haçienda together with the circle of post-punk musicians and designers involved with his label, Factory Records. — Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2026 The same parents who built our algorithmic economy now limit their own children’s exposure to it, creating a new kind of digital divide—one where being unplugged and well-read are the ultimate luxuries. — Liz Doe Stone, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for well-read

Recent Examples of Synonyms for well-read

Adjective

Highly literate working men and women were almost always in the vanguard of campaigns for social and democratic change.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Not voting in Brazil incurs a small fine as participation is mandatory for literate citizens aged 18 to 70.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of literate

Adjective

Of course Charles would be suspicious of this pretty, educated girl who shows up out of nowhere, refuses to share what brought her here, and has clearly ensnared Adam.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Right now, many jobs are booming due to AI, while preliminary studies on the impact of AI on jobs and wages remain educated guess work, as their own authors caution.

— Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of educated

Adjective

If the source is a scholarly journal article, the article’s title appears in a larger font above the additional bibliographic information.

— The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 9 Oct. 2026
Generating scholarly tomes at a rate of more than one a year involves obsessive amounts of research.

— Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of scholarly

Browse Nearby Words

well-ordered

well-read

well-rounded

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“Well-read.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/well-read. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of well-read

adjective

Example Sentences

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