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
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(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
Derived Forms
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unpursuableadjective
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repursueverb (used with object)
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pursuernoun
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pursuableadjective
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outpursueverb (used with object)
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has pursuedperfect 3rd person singular
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have pursuedperfect
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has been pursuingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is pursuingprogressive 3rd person singular
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pursuessingular 3rd person
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pursuingparticiple
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am pursuingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been pursuingperfect progressive
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are pursuingprogressive
Past
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had pursuedperfect
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was pursuingprogressive singular
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had been pursuingperfect progressive
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pursuedparticiple
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pursuedsimple
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were pursuingprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of pursue
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English pursuen, from Anglo-French pursuer, ultimately from Latin prōsequī “to pursue, follow, continue”; see pro- 1, sue, prosecute
Explanation
Use the verb pursue when you're chasing after someone or something. A hungry lion might pursue a zebra, the paparazzi might pursue a celebrity, and a young dancer might pursue her dream of becoming a prima ballerina. Pursue originally meant "to follow with hostile intent," from a Latin root word, prosequi, "follow, accompany, follow after, or follow up." Today, when you pursue someone, it's not necessarily with bad intentions. A police officer, for example, might pursue a criminal, and your dog might pursue your cat around the house just for fun. If you pursue a career in journalism, you are working to achieve it. Likewise, you pursue a strategy or a hobby if you do it consistently.
Vocabulary lists containing pursue
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 6
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"Creativity at Work" and "The Hidden Secrets of the Creative Mind"
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"Tribute to the Dog," Vocabulary from the speech
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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.
Hasley hailed from Pittsburgh and played university football before venturing to Hollywood to pursue his dreams as a writer.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
The BOJ will likely pursue one more rate hike by year-end after the June move.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
"We should not give up on the goal of denuclearisation because we cannot pursue nuclear armament ourselves," he said.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Now aged 20, she hopes to pursue a career in education and is currently training to become a teaching assistant at a vocational college in The Hague, ROC Mondriaan.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
“And you think it is worth taking a detour from your current mission to pursue this?”
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
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.
