hunt

¹ American  

[huhnt] / hʌnt /

verb (used with object)

1. to chase or search for (game or other wild animals) for the purpose of catching or killing.

   Synonyms:

   track, pursue

2. to pursue with force, hostility, etc., in order to capture (often followed bydown ).

   They hunted him down and hanged him.

3. to search for; seek; endeavor to obtain or find (often followed by up orout ).

   to hunt up the most promising candidates for the position.

4. to search (a place) thoroughly.

5. to scour (an area) in pursuit of game.

6. to use or direct (a horse, hound, etc.) in chasing game.

7. Change Ringing. to alter the place of (a bell) in a hunt.

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verb (used without object)

1. to engage in the pursuit, capture, or killing of wild animals for food or in sport.

2. to make a search or quest (often followed by for orafter ).

3. Change Ringing. to alter the place of a bell in its set according to certain rules.

noun

1. an act or practice of hunting game or other wild animals.

2. a search; a seeking or endeavor to find.

3. a pursuit.

4. a group of persons associated for the purpose of hunting; an association of hunters.

5. an area hunted over.

6. Change Ringing. a regularly varying order of permutations in the ringing of a group of from five to twelve bells.

Hunt ² American  

[huhnt] / hʌnt /

noun

1. (James Henry) Leigh 1784–1859, English essayist, poet, and editor.

2. Richard Morris, 1828–95, U.S. architect.

3. (William) Holman 1827–1910, English painter.

4. William Morris, 1824–79, U.S. painter (brother of Richard Morris Hunt).

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hunt ¹ British  

/ hʌnt /

verb

1. to seek out and kill or capture (game or wild animals) for food or sport

2. to look (for); search (for)

   to hunt for a book

   to hunt up a friend

3. (tr) to use (hounds, horses, etc) in the pursuit of wild animals, game, etc

   to hunt a pack of hounds

4. (tr) to search or draw (country) to hunt wild animals, game, etc

   to hunt the parkland

5. to track or chase diligently, esp so as to capture

   to hunt down a criminal

6. (tr; usually passive) to persecute; hound

7. (intr) (of a gauge indicator, engine speed, etc) to oscillate about a mean value or position

8. (intr) (of an aircraft, rocket, etc) to oscillate about a flight path

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noun

1. the act or an instance of hunting

2. chase or search, esp of animals or game

3. the area of a hunt

4. a party or institution organized for the pursuit of wild animals or game, esp for sport

5. the participants in or members of such a party or institution

6. informal having a chance of success See also hunt down hunt up

   that result keeps us in the hunt

Hunt ² British  

/ hʌnt /

noun

1. Henry , known as Orator Hunt . 1773–1835, British radical, who led the mass meeting that ended in the Peterloo Massacre (1819)

2. ( William ) Holman. 1827–1910, British painter; a founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (1848)

3. James. 1947–93, British motor-racing driver: world champion 1976

4. ( Henry Cecil ) John , Baron. 1910–98, British army officer and mountaineer. He planned and led the expedition that first climbed Mount Everest (1953)

5. ( James Henry ) Leigh (liː). 1784–1859, British poet and essayist: a founder of The Examiner (1808) in which he promoted the work of Keats and Shelley

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hunt Idioms  

1. see happy hunting ground; high and low, (hunt); run with (the hare, hunt with the hounds).

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Other Word Forms

• huntable adjective
• huntedly adverb
• outhunt verb (used with object)
• overhunt verb (used with object)
• unhuntable adjective
• unhunted adjective

Etymology

Origin of hunt

First recorded before 1000; (for the verb) Middle English hunten, Old English huntian, derivative of hunta “hunter,” akin to hentan “to pursue”; noun derivative of the verb

Example Sentences

But for now, the hunt continues for someone else—anyone else—to blame.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

I’ve been on the hunt for similar chia seed-centric recipes that go beyond the basics, experimenting with flavors, preparations and presentations.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

He directed the country’s international police liaison to coordinate with Interpol to hunt down the accused abroad.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Shrinking sea ice is making it harder for polar bears to hunt.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

And they were off, like they were on a treasure hunt going from clue to clue, running and laughing and having the best time.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

Related Words

• exploration
• hunting
• inquiry
• interrogation
• investigation
• probe
• prosecution
• pursuit
• quest
• race
• raid