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

Now there are more than 2,000 lawsuits on the trade court’s doorstep from businesses suing to recoup what they paid.

From The Wall Street Journal

Two of News Corp’s subsidiaries have sued Perplexity for copyright infringement.

From The Wall Street Journal

Cannon is continuing to sue Spacey at the High Court.

From BBC

Even if the regime sues for peace, the U.S. may need an ongoing military commitment to ensure it complies with the terms.

From The Wall Street Journal

A pension-fund shareholder sued, alleging the company had breached its fiduciary duty.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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