Synonyms

seek

American

[seek] / sik /

verb (used with object)

sought, seeking

to go in search or quest of.

to seek the truth.
to try to find or discover by searching or questioning.

to seek the solution to a problem.
to try to obtain.

to seek fame.

Synonyms:

follow, pursue
to try or attempt (usually followed by an infinitive).

to seek to convince a person.
to go to.

to seek a place to rest.
to ask for; request.

to seek advice.
Archaic. to search or explore.

verb (used without object)

sought, seeking

to make inquiry.

idioms

be sought after, to be desired or in demand.

Graduates in the physical sciences are most sought after by employers these days.

seek British

/ siːk /

verb

to try to find by searching; look for

to seek a solution
(also intr) to try to obtain or acquire

to seek happiness
to attempt (to do something); try

I'm only seeking to help
(also intr) to enquire about or request (something)

to seek help
to go or resort to

to seek the garden for peace
an archaic word for explore

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

seek More Idioms

see play hide and seek.

Other Word Forms

outseek verb (used with object)
reseek verb (used with object)
seeker noun
unseeking adjective

Etymology

Origin of seek

First recorded before 900; Middle English seken, Old English sēcan; cognate with German suchen, Old Norse sœkja, Gothic sōkjan; akin to Latin sāgīre “to perceive by scent” ( presage, sagacity ); beseech

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 company is also seeking to expand data-center capacity in Southeast Asia, they said.

From The Wall Street Journal

He told the Munich Security Conference: "We do not seek to separate, but to revitalise an old friendship and renew the greatest civilisation in human history."

From BBC

But when the ski season is over, Braathen seeks out a world away from the sport "in order to come back motivated".

From Barron's

It was that final requirement that Delka, a native Texas, was seeking to fulfill when she moved to the island.

From Los Angeles Times

The remaining exploitation permits are held by companies with projects on hold or seeking to divest.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023