wade through
Also found in: Idioms.
wade
(wād)v. wad·ed, wad·ing, wades
v.intr.
To walk in or through water or something else that similarly impedes normal movement.
v.tr.
To cross or pass through (water, for example) with difficulty: wade a swift creek.
n.
Phrasal Verbs: The act or an instance of wading.
wade in (or into)
To begin resolutely or energetically to do (something): waded into the task.
wade through
To read (something) with great effort: waded through the school's correspondence.
[Middle English waden, from Old English wadan.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.