Every review synonym answers one question: are you rereading something, judging it, or writing up your opinion? As a verb, assess, evaluate, go over and examine do most of the work; as a noun, critique, assessment and appraisal lead. Go over is relaxed and practical, while evaluate implies a judgment against standards.
Each synonym for review here is tagged by sense and tone, with swaps for reviewed, reviewing and reviewer. When you want another word for review on a performance form or in a study plan, skip to the section that fits.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
assess, evaluate, go over, examine, critiquePart of speech
Verb and nounMost formal
appraise, scrutinize, auditMost casual
look over, run through, take a look atMost thorough
audit, scrutinize, inspectAntonyms
ignore, overlook, skipWatch out
In British English revise can also mean study for an exam; in American English it means edit or change.Word forms covered
reviewed, reviewing, reviews, reviewer
Five jobs, each with its own review synonym
| Job | Swaps | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Read or check again | go over, look over, reread, proofread | Please proofread the slides. |
| Judge quality | assess, evaluate, vet, appraise | HR will vet each applicant. |
| Study for an exam | revise (British), brush up on, study | Time to brush up on fractions. |
| Opinion piece (noun) | critique, write-up, rating | The critique praised the lighting. |
| Formal check (noun) | assessment, audit, inspection | The annual audit starts Monday. |
Look over versus evaluate: the tone ladder
On the chip strip, words grow more formal from left to right. Look over is a quick glance, fine for a friend's essay. Go over suggests a full pass, often together: let's go over the plan. Check hunts for mistakes. Assess forms a judgment, and evaluate measures against clear criteria, which is why it appears in grant forms and annual appraisals.
Swaps from offices, classrooms and stores
- Can you review my draft becomes can you look over my draft.
- We will review your application becomes we will assess your application.
- The board reviewed the budget becomes the board examined the budget.
- Review the chapter before the quiz becomes go over the chapter before the quiz.
- She wrote a review of the play becomes she wrote a critique of the play.
- The product has great reviews becomes the product has great ratings.
- The policy is under review becomes the policy is under evaluation.
A manager emails: "I reviewed the report and will review it again after the review meeting." Three in one sentence. Cleaner: "I read the report and will go over it again after Thursday's assessment meeting." Each word now names a different step.
Reviewed, reviewing, reviews and reviewer
The past form reviewed swaps with assessed, checked, examined or went over. Reviewing often becomes evaluating or looking over. For plural reviews about products, try ratings, feedback or customer comments; the feedback synonyms page has more.
A reviewer can be a critic (arts), an assessor or examiner (formal checks), a referee (academic journals) or a proofreader (text).
Pitfalls when you swap review
Revise trips up many writers. In Britain, students revise for exams; in the US, revise means change a text. Criticize is not a neutral swap, since it leans negative, while a critique can praise as well as fault. Preview means looking before, not after. Survey as a verb means a broad look, not a detailed one. Monitor is ongoing watching rather than a one-time check; see monitor synonyms.
Antonyms of review
To skip or skim is to pass over without a careful read. Overlook is usually accidental, ignore is deliberate, and neglect suggests a duty left undone.
- He skimmed the contract and missed the fee.
- The audit found steps the team had neglected.
For punchy verbs on applications, browse resume and work words.
Frequently asked questions
What can I say on a resume instead of reviewed?
Use audited, evaluated, assessed or vetted, and add the scale: evaluated forty vendor bids. Pick audited only for financial or compliance checks.
Is a critique the same as a review?
Close, but a critique usually goes deeper into strengths and flaws. A review can be a short star rating or a quick opinion.
Which is more formal, assess or evaluate?
Evaluate is a touch more formal, which is why it sits at the formal end of the scale. It often implies set criteria or a score, while assess is a broader judgment.
What do British students mean by revise?
They mean study material again before an exam. American students would say review or study for the same thing.
What is the opposite of review?
Ignore, overlook and skip are the common antonyms. Skim works when someone reads but without care.
Can I use go over in a formal email?
Yes. Go over is polite and common at work, as in let's go over the numbers on Friday. In very formal letters, examine or review may suit better.