In drag culture, to read someone is to insult or criticize them. It is not a private argument. It is a performance. It is sharp. It is witty. It is often funny. "She read him for filth." It means she insulted him thoroughly. The word comes from the idea of reading someone like a book. You see their flaws. You name them.

Read is common in LGBTQ+ and drag communities. It has spread to mainstream slang. It is used in speech and texting. It is not formal. It is a word of confrontation. It is a word of skill. The best reads are clever. The worst are just cruel. The line is thin.

Related slang

• Drag: to criticize or mock harshly.
• Shade: indirect disrespect.
• Throw shade: to make indirect critical remarks.
• Clapback: a sharp response.

Read is a word with power. It is a word with history. It belongs to a community that built it. Using it outside that community can be tricky. But at its core, it is simple. It is a sharp observation. It is a truth told with style. That is a good thing. That is a read.