pursued

American  

[per-sood] / pərˈsud /

adjective

1. followed by a person or animal wishing to overtake, capture, kill, etc.; chased.

   Dogs' keen sense of smell and hunting instinct make it difficult for a pursued animal to escape.

2. being the goal or purpose that motivates a person’s striving or effort.

   Every phrase in the document has been carefully weighed to serve the pursued objective.

3. carried on or continued.

   Going from one university to another for short stays might be less beneficial than a steadily pursued course at one place.

4. practiced, as an occupation, pastime, etc..

   Whether as a hobby or as a career, music and dance have always been among the most highly pursued performing arts.

5. studied or discussed over some time.

   This publication focuses on the long pursued question of best timing for orthodontic treatment.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of pursue.

Other Word Forms

• unpursued adjective

Etymology

Origin of pursued

pursue ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

McConaughey has in recent years pursued an application with the USPTO, framed as protection against the unauthorized use of his voice by AI models.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

Frederick actively pursued a treaty of amity and commerce with the new American republic, an important step toward broader recognition of the United States.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

Apple under Cook never pursued the scale of deal Nadella did.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

“I told her, ‘If you don’t start saying it, it’s not going to happen,’” says Snyder, 49, who pursued his own dream of becoming a professional skateboarder before moving into video editing.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

I had never seen anything like it: My Human was being pursued up a tree by a monster.

From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth

Related Words

• followed