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• chase
  chase

  verb (used with object)

  to pursue in order to seize, overtake, etc..
• Chase
  Chase

  noun

  Mary Ellen, 1887–1973, U.S. educator, novelist, and essayist.

chase

¹ American  

[cheys] / tʃeɪs /

verb (used with object)

chased, chasing

1. to pursue in order to seize, overtake, etc..

   The police officer chased the thief.

2. to pursue with intent to capture or kill, as game; hunt.

   to chase deer.

3. to follow or devote one's attention to with the hope of attracting, winning, gaining, etc..

   He chased her for three years before she consented to marry him.

4. to drive or expel by force, threat, or harassment.

   She chased the cat out of the room.

   Synonyms:

   scatter, rout, oust

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verb (used without object)

chased, chasing

1. to follow in pursuit.

   to chase after someone.

2. to rush or hasten.

   We spent the weekend chasing around from one store to another.

noun

1. the act of chasing; pursuit.

   The chase lasted a day.

   Synonyms:

   quest, hunt

2. an object of pursuit; something chased.

3. Chiefly British. a private game preserve; a tract of privately owned land reserved for, and sometimes stocked with, animals and birds to be hunted.

4. British. the right of keeping game or of hunting on the land of others.

5. a steeplechase.

6. the chase, the sport or occupation of hunting.

   the excitement of the chase.

verb phrase

1. give chase to pursue.

   The hunt began and the dogs gave chase.

idioms

1. cut to the chase, to get to the main point.

chase ² American  

[cheys] / tʃeɪs /

noun

1. a rectangular iron frame in which composed type is secured or locked for printing or platemaking.

2. Building Trades. a space or groove in a masonry wall or through a floor for pipes or ducts.

3. a groove, furrow, or trench; a lengthened hollow.

4. Ordnance.

   1. the part of a gun in front of the trunnions.

   2. the part containing the bore.

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chase ³ American  

[cheys] / tʃeɪs /

verb (used with object)

chased, chasing

1. to ornament (metal) by engraving or embossing.

2. to cut (a screw thread), as with a chaser or machine tool.

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Chase ⁴ American  

[cheys] / tʃeɪs /

noun

1. Mary Ellen, 1887–1973, U.S. educator, novelist, and essayist.

2. Salmon Portland 1808–73, U.S. jurist and statesman: secretary of the treasury 1861–64; chief justice of the U.S. 1864–73.

3. Samuel, 1741–1811, U.S. jurist and leader in the American Revolution: associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1796–1811.

4. Stuart, 1888–1985, U.S. economist and writer.

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chase ¹ British  

/ tʃeɪs /

verb

1. to follow or run after (a person, animal, or goal) persistently or quickly

2. (tr; often foll by out, away, or off) to force to run (away); drive (out)

3. informal (tr) to court (a member of the opposite sex) in an unsubtle manner

4. informal to pursue persistently and energetically in order to obtain results, information, etc

   chase up the builders and get a delivery date

5. informal (intr) to hurry; rush

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noun

1. the act of chasing; pursuit

2. any quarry that is pursued

3. an unenclosed area of land where wild animals are preserved to be hunted

4. the right to hunt a particular quarry over the land of others

5. the act or sport of hunting

6. short for steeplechase

7. real tennis a ball that bounces twice, requiring the point to be played again

8. informal to start talking about the important aspects of something

9. to pursue (a person, animal, or thing) actively

chase ² British  

/ tʃeɪs /

noun

1. printing a rectangular steel or cast-iron frame into which metal type and blocks making up pages are locked for printing or plate-making

2. the part of a gun barrel from the front of the trunnions to the muzzle

3. a groove or channel, esp one that is cut in a wall to take a pipe, cable, etc

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verb

1. Also: chamfer.  to cut a groove, furrow, or flute in (a surface, column, etc)

chase ³ British  

/ tʃeɪs /

verb

1. Also: enchase.  to ornament (metal) by engraving or embossing

2. to form or finish (a screw thread) with a chaser

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chase More Idioms  

1. see ambulance chaser; cut to the chase; give chase; go fly a kite (chase yourself); lead a merry chase; run (chase) after; wild goose chase.

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Other Word Forms

• chaseable
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of chase¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English chacen, chacien, from Middle French chasser “to hunt,” Old French chacier, from unattested Vulgar Latin captiāre; see catch

Origin of chase²

First recorded in 1570–80; from Middle French chas, chasse, from Late Latin capsus (masculine), capsum (neuter) “fully or partly enclosed space,” variant of capsa case ²

Origin of chase³

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English chased (past participle); shortened variant of enchase

Explanation

To chase is to follow or go after someone or something you want. This activity is called a chase. Dogs chase cats, cats chase mice, and mice are in big trouble. The word chase tried to run away from the Old French word chacier for "to hunt or strive for,” but we caught it. Any time you’re trying to get something that’s trying to get away from you, you chase it. Police officers chase criminals, and kids playing tag chase each other all over the yard. You can also chase things that aren't physical, like a dream or a goal. This activity itself is called a chase.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chase Chase chased chasing

This is just the autumn itinerary for a wild year of letting themselves chase hobbies and passions, completely unencumbered by the corporate career paths they have built.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

The fast-fashion company became a juggernaut by pumping out a never-ending supply of clothes at super-cheap prices, creating a constant churn of microtrends for consumers to chase.

From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2026

According to video footage of the chase obtained by the TV station, a blue Tesla could be seen speeding down the boardwalk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner’s first chase happened in the 1949 short “Fast and Furry-ous,” directed by animator Chuck Jones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

I chase after them, a sharp pain in my side, and there are other people with us, little shadows darting on my right and my left and up ahead.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

Adell has driven in 28 runs in 38 games with Cleveland and joins glittering rookie Chase DeLauter and steady veteran Steven Kwan in a productive outfield.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Back at Cannock Chase, the small team is working to try and restore the charred landscape and also improve fire breaks and access for fire engines for when the next wildfire season starts.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

JPMorgan Chase appointed Nelle Miller and William Sinclair as co-chief executives of its U.S. private bank.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon last year lambasted the rule for effectively muzzling him and others in his industry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

Chase was so worried about his parents not showing up that he barely noticed the line of cars stretching ahead of them…until they reached the end of it.

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

Its future remains bright, but investors who chased the rally’s latter stages are nursing losses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Inheriting a “low-price gene” from poverty, as Hongfu said in a document that detailed the company’s history, they ignored the middle-class customers whom Starbucks and Chinese brands chased in Shanghai.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

The All Blacks sniffed a famous victory when Will Jordan chased after his own kick ahead and crossed for a 17-12 lead in the 55th minute.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

Sosa-Celis was shot on Jan. 14, as Castro and another ICE agent chased Alfredo Aljorna, an immigrant from Venezuela, after a traffic stop.

From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026

A roadrunner chased a small lizard from the left side in front of our traveling animal cavalcade.

From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen

Prior to the alleged locker room incident described in the filing, Baker-Mazara left the USC-Nebraska game a few minutes into the second half after chasing down a lay-in and falling hard to the court.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

They opened stands in workers’ dormitories, village markets and universities, chasing cheap rent and foot traffic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Thirty-six years after Nigel Benn stopped Iran Barkley in the opening round in Las Vegas, his son was chasing his own defining night.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

Hodgkinson, who took the decision to miss the Diamond League Final to allow her body to recover from her efforts in chasing Werro in Birmingham, claimed a comfortable victory in one minute 57.57 seconds.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

I give up chasing these thoughts when the human comes, delivering a fresh pile of—oh, this meat is spicy!

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

Related Words

• drive
• drive away
• expel
• follow
• go after
• hound
• hunt
• run down
• rush
• tear
• track
• trail