pursue
Americanverb (used with object)
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to follow in order to overtake, capture, kill, etc.; chase.
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to follow close upon; go with; attend.
Bad luck pursued him.
- Synonyms:
- dog
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to strive to gain; seek to attain or accomplish (an end, object, purpose, etc.).
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to proceed in accordance with (a method, plan, etc.).
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to carry on or continue (a course of action, a train of thought, an inquiry, studies, etc.).
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to continue to annoy, afflict, or trouble.
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to practice (an occupation, pastime, etc.).
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to continue to discuss (a subject, topic, etc.).
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to follow.
They pursued the river to its source. I felt their eyes pursuing me.
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to continue; go on with (one's course, a journey, etc.).
verb (used without object)
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to chase after someone or something; to follow in pursuit.
They spotted the suspect but decided not to pursue.
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to continue.
verb
-
(also intr) to follow (a fugitive, etc) in order to capture or overtake
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(esp of something bad or unlucky) to follow closely or accompany
ill health pursued her
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to seek or strive to attain (some object, desire, etc)
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to follow the precepts of (a plan, policy, etc)
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to apply oneself to (one's studies, hobbies, etc)
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to follow persistently or seek to become acquainted with
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to continue to discuss or argue (a point, subject, etc)
Other Word Forms
- outpursue verb (used with object)
- pursuable adjective
- pursuer noun
- repursue verb (used with object)
- unpursuable adjective
Etymology
Origin of pursue
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English pursuen, from Anglo-French pursuer, ultimately from Latin prōsequī “to pursue, follow, continue”; pro- 1, sue, prosecute
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They pursued Oskar Schulz, a former classmate at MIT, for more than a year.
The royal palace said it "knew nothing about this video" and that "we do not understand what goals it pursues. And we do not see it as necessary or appropriate".
From Barron's
Regional and global powers alike are using it to pursue their own interests, producing a tangle of shifting alliances.
Mazzuckelli wants to pursue “deep organizing” in rural, conservative pockets of Ohio, perhaps in conjunction with the Working Families Party.
From Salon
Dmitriev arrived at the White House on April 2 and presented a list of multibillion-dollar business projects the two governments could pursue together.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
