quest
Americannoun
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quests
plural
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a search or pursuit made in order to find or obtain something.
a quest for uranium mines;
a quest for knowledge.
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Classical and Medieval Legend. an adventurous expedition undertaken by a knight or knights to secure or achieve something.
the quest of the Holy Grail.
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those engaged in such an expedition.
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British Dialect. inquest.
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Obsolete. a jury of inquest.
verb (used without object)
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quests,
present (3rd person singular)
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quested,
past participle, past
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questing
present participle
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to search; seek (often followed by for orafter ).
to quest after hidden treasure.
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to go on a quest.
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Hunting. (of a dog)
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to search for game.
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to bay or give tongue in pursuit of game.
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verb (used with object)
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quests,
present (3rd person singular)
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quested,
past participle, past
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questing
present participle
noun
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the act or an instance of looking for or seeking; search
a quest for diamonds
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(in medieval romance) an expedition by a knight or company of knights to accomplish some prescribed task, such as finding the Holy Grail
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the object of a search; goal or target
my quest is the treasure of the king
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rare a collection of alms
verb
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to go in search (of)
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to go on a quest
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to search for game
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to bay when in pursuit of game
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rare to collect alms
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archaic (also tr) to go in search of (a thing); seek or pursue
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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questsimple
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questssimple
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have questedperfect
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has questedperfect
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am questingprogressive
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are questingprogressive
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is questingprogressive
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have been questingperfect progressive
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has been questingperfect progressive
Past
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questedsimple
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had questedperfect
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was questingprogressive
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were questingprogressive
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had been questingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of quest
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English noun queste, from Old French, from Latin quaesīta, feminine past participle of quaerere “to seek”; Middle English verb derivative of the noun
Explanation
A quest is all about seeking something important, and it often involves a journey. You would travel the world in a quest for gold. You would not travel to the front of the lunchroom in a quest for tater tots. Knights in the Middle Ages were forever taking on quests––most famously to find the Holy Grail. In modern times, you can quest without ever leaving home, thanks to the Internet. A scientist might embark on a quest to find the cure for cancer. A detective might quest for the truth.
Vocabulary lists containing quest
Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
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Freak the Mighty
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"What Is the Horror Genre?" Vocabulary from the literary criticism
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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.
See Examples For:
But that split second fortifies Morrison, confirming that his quest to Everest is for everyone that he’s lost, and every heartstopping moment along the way.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026
Plus, how America’s cheapest EV fared on a Deep South road trip, Demis Hassabis’s quest to solve the world’s mysteries with AI, our iPhone Duo review and more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
"That quest for power was really what drove the Query Club, what really drove Bevan and inspired him for the rest of his career."
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
Danny Palumbo went on a quest to find out.
From Slate ● Oct. 24, 2026
His own quest had been for Hen Wen; Gwydion’s, to warn the Sons of Don.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
And in the pursuit of survival, there’s rarely time for side quests.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
In addition to checking off my goals, I was also heavily encouraged to shop for my bird’s closet, furnish his apartment, and complete the in-app quests.
From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026
Earlier this month, we put together a collection of side quests around the desert.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
But public investors eventually will, and they’ll look elsewhere for profitable side quests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026
We call it walking high, and even if we haven't been going on any dangerous quests lately, so the Fair Gwen won't have to throw a fit, Freak hasn't exactly given up on slaying dragons.
From "Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick
But the University of Liverpool academic tells Radio 1 Newsbeat that's "possible but highly improbable", as anyone who's quested for that final, obscure sticker will know.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2022
As for Bimini, it’s the name of a Bahamian island chain and the supposed site of the mythic Fountain of Youth quested after by Ponce de Leon, the early 16th century Spanish explorer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 28, 2021
A few days ago in a galaxy not so far away, an estimated 65,000 “Star Wars” fans from across the globe quested their way to the biggest convention center in the United States.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2019
Don’t call me evil—or “toxic”—because I’ve never quested after the liquid sublime.
From Slate ● Nov. 20, 2013
Now they emerged and quested about her consciousness.
From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
The Irish Times describes it as a "an endearingly honest, questing record about friendship, faith, art, meaning and, appropriately for Easter, death and the possibility of rebirth".
From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026
There he encountered climbers questing to conquer the Seven Summits—the highest mountain peaks on each continent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026
A long-time proponent of independence for his Flemish-speaking region, he would be loath to relinquish the post of prime minister after years of questing for the top job.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2025
The more elaborate the setup, the more active the crabs become, climbing, crawling, and exploring with their endlessly questing antennae.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2025
“I was coming to that It is the plum of the story. One afternoon I was out in the forest for half an hour’s questing, when I was set upon by two knights from behind.”
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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