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

Example Sentences

After two years of frustration, she sued the United States in 2022 alleging the Postal Service had intentionally and wrongly withheld her mail.

From Los Angeles Times

The shipping company is the first to sue after the Supreme Court’s decision, though companies like Costco filed suit in December 2025 prior to the court’s final ruling.

From Salon

Tesla is suing California to remove a “false advertiser” label related to its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems.

From Barron's

Since it is impractical for activists to sue under state law every time a proposal is filed, Mr. Atkins would essentially hand the decision over to management.

From The Wall Street Journal

When Salmond died, aged 69, he had been suing the Scottish government over a botched investigation into harassment complaints made about him.

From BBC

Related Words

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