quest
Americannoun
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a search or pursuit made in order to find or obtain something.
a quest for uranium mines;
a quest for knowledge.
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Classical and Medieval Legend. an adventurous expedition undertaken by a knight or knights to secure or achieve something.
the quest of the Holy Grail.
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those engaged in such an expedition.
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British Dialect. inquest.
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Obsolete. a jury of inquest.
verb (used without object)
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to search; seek (often followed by for orafter ).
to quest after hidden treasure.
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to go on a quest.
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Hunting. (of a dog)
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to search for game.
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to bay or give tongue in pursuit of game.
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verb (used with object)
noun
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the act or an instance of looking for or seeking; search
a quest for diamonds
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(in medieval romance) an expedition by a knight or company of knights to accomplish some prescribed task, such as finding the Holy Grail
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the object of a search; goal or target
my quest is the treasure of the king
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rare a collection of alms
verb
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to go in search (of)
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to go on a quest
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to search for game
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to bay when in pursuit of game
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rare to collect alms
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archaic (also tr) to go in search of (a thing); seek or pursue
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have questedperfect
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has questedperfect 3rd person singular
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is questingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are questingprogressive
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have been questingperfect progressive
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am questingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been questingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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questingparticiple
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questssingular 3rd person
Past
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had questedperfect
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had been questingperfect progressive
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questedsimple
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were questingprogressive plural
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was questingprogressive singular
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questedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of quest
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English noun queste, from Old French, from Latin quaesīta, feminine past participle of quaerere “to seek”; Middle English verb derivative of the noun
Explanation
A quest is all about seeking something important, and it often involves a journey. You would travel the world in a quest for gold. You would not travel to the front of the lunchroom in a quest for tater tots. Knights in the Middle Ages were forever taking on quests––most famously to find the Holy Grail. In modern times, you can quest without ever leaving home, thanks to the Internet. A scientist might embark on a quest to find the cure for cancer. A detective might quest for the truth.
Vocabulary lists containing quest
Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
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Freak the Mighty
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"What Is the Horror Genre?" Vocabulary from the literary criticism
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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.
The show, on Quest TV, sees Vegas open a pop-up shop called Vintage Vegas to sell collectibles and quirky items.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
The company didn’t position its Quest brand, for example, to successfully compete in a super-competitive protein bar category, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
Horizon Worlds, the virtual reality app that tied into Meta’s Quest VR headsets, will disappear in June, but remain an option for mobile phone users.
From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026
Midtier options like the Explorer and Quest cards, which carry annual fees of $150 and $350, respectively, pay for themselves quickly for frequent flyers, Rossman noted.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 19, 2026
Mordred and Agravaine, who had been among the first to retire from the Quest, watched and waited with bright eyes.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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.
