sought
Americanverb
verb
Other Word Forms
Explanation
I have long sought an answer to the following question: If sought is the past tense of seek, how come you say "we played hide and seek all afternoon" instead of "we hid and sought all afternoon?" Seek means to look for, and sought is what you say when you're done with the looking. "As a young man, I sought my fortune. Now it is time for me to sit by the fire, searching for the long-sought-after answer to the timeless question 'What did it all mean?'"
Vocabulary lists containing sought
"O Captain! My Captain!" Vocabulary from the poem
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Word Generation Weekly - Series 3
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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.
This correspondence shows the family resisted that year when another man at the fort sought to buy her for 450 Dutch guilders, the equivalent of around $12,000 today.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
Other Premier League clubs are believed to have been informed about the independent panel's decision and have sought legal advice as to whether they would have a compensation claim.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
Weinstein, imprisoned and suffering from declining health, sought relief in both California and New York.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
A second person, Earnest Lloyd Jr, 25, was arrested in the case this week, while a third was reportedly being sought by authorities.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
Her Catholic conversion did not provide Maggie the peace of mind she sought.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
