sue

¹ American  

[soo] / su /

verb (used with object)

sued, suing

1. to institute a process in law against; bring a civil action against.

   to sue someone for damages.

2. to woo or court.

3. Obsolete. to make petition or appeal to.

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verb (used without object)

sued, suing

1. to institute legal proceedings, or bring suit.

   She threatened to sue.

2. to make petition or appeal.

   to sue for peace.

   Synonyms:

   pray, plead, petition, beg

3. to court a woman.

verb phrase

1. sue out to make application for or apply for and obtain (a writ or the like) from a court of law.

Sue ² American  

[soo, sy] / su, sü /

noun

1. Eugène Marie Joseph Sue, 1804–57, French novelist.

2. a female given name, form of Susan, Susanna, Susannah.

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sue ¹ British  

/ suː, sjuː /

verb

1. to institute legal proceedings (against)

2. to make suppliant requests of (someone for something)

3. archaic to pay court (to)

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Sue ² British  

/ sy /

noun

1. Eugène (øʒɛn). original name Marie-Joseph Sue. 1804–57, French novelist, whose works, notably Les mystères de Paris (1842–43) and Le juif errant (1844–45), were among the first to reflect the impact of the industrial revolution on France

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Other Word Forms

• suer noun
• unsued adjective

Etymology

Origin of sue

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English suen, siwen, from Old French sivre, from unattested Vulgar Latin sequere “to follow,” for Latin sequī

Explanation

If you sue someone, you're accusing them (in court) of doing something wrong or illegal and demanding that they pay for it. Almost every time someone sues, they're looking for money. One of the last things you want to hear is "I'll sue you!" People sue for a lot of reasons. If you slipped on the ice, you could sue the sidewalk owner for not putting salt down. If you were in a car accident, you could sue the other driver. Years ago, someone sued McDonald's for scalding themselves on a cup of coffee they said was too hot. Sometimes it seems like people will find any reason to sue.

Example Sentences

Karp defended the decision, in part, because he said he would lose top talent to rivals if the firm decided to sue.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

But the listing prompted at least two peptide companies to sue the FDA, arguing it was dragging its feet on creating the bulks list of allowed compounding substances.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

Could a patient sue a doctor who counsels against the measles vaccine in the midst of an outbreak?

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

Environmental groups tried to sue to stop the vote, claiming it could push some species like the Rice's Whale into extinction - only 51 remain in the wild.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Despite all the other cases and the press they’ve received, the Lacks family has never actually tried to sue anyone over the HeLa cells.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Related Words

• accuse
• appeal
• charge
• claim
• file
• indict
• petition
• plead
• prosecute