Literary notes about scrutinize (AI summary)
The term "scrutinize" often conveys the act of examining something with intense, focused attention across works of literature. It is employed in contexts ranging from introspection and the observation of human relationships—as seen when a character questions her own reflection ([1]) or inspects her husband’s demeanor ([2], [3])—to the meticulous analysis of broader societal or physical details, such as evaluating economic regulations ([4]) or inspecting minute details with a microscope-like precision ([5]). The word frequently appears when characters search for hidden clues or underlying motives, whether in the careful deconstruction of a document ([6]) or the piercing examination of another person’s countenance ([7]). Overall, "scrutinize" enriches literary narratives by underlining the depth of observation and the critical inquiry that drives both personal and intellectual discovery ([8], [9]).
- The gleam of it struck her eyes, and she paused to scrutinize herself questioningly.
— from The Burning Secret by Stefan Zweig - She continued to scrutinize her husband broodingly.
— from The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton - She had been in the habit of seeing him for a long time, and she had scrutinized him as girls scrutinize and see, while looking elsewhere.
— from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - We must begin to scrutinize the overall effect of regulation in our economy.
— from State of the Union Addresses (1790-2006) by United States. Presidents - The microscope, not the canvas, is the proper instrument by which to scrutinize the minute.
— from The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 16, No. 98, December, 1865
A Magazine of Literature, Science, Art, and Politics by Various - The feverish, broken conversation lasted for a while, after which both began to scrutinize the document and discuss every word inscribed upon it.
— from In Desert and Wilderness by Henryk Sienkiewicz - But I had to stand and listen to what he was saying to me, all the while feeling him scrutinize me keenly from head to foot.
— from Katia by Tolstoy, Leo, graf - Scrutinize my propositions closely, and see if I am guilty of misstating theirs.
— from Life: Its True Genesis by Horatius Flaccus - The practical unimportance of the question of Free Will becomes more clear if we scrutinize closely the range of volitional effects.
— from The Methods of Ethics by Henry Sidgwick