sue
verb (used with object)
to institute a process in law against; bring a civil action against.
sue
1 American
[soo]
/ su /
verb (used with object)
-
sues,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sued,
past participle, past
-
suing
present participle
-
to institute a process in law against; bring a civil action against.
to sue someone for damages.
-
to woo or court.
-
Obsolete. to make petition or appeal to.
verb (used without object)
-
sues,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sued,
past participle, past
-
suing
present participle
verb phrase
sue
1
British
/ suː, sjuː /
verb
-
to institute legal proceedings (against)
-
to make suppliant requests of (someone for something)
-
archaic to pay court (to)
Sue
2
British
/ sy /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
suesimple
-
suessimple
-
have suedperfect
-
has suedperfect
-
am suingprogressive
-
are suingprogressive
-
is suingprogressive
-
have been suingperfect progressive
-
has been suingperfect progressive
Past
-
suedsimple
-
had suedperfect
-
was suingprogressive
-
were suingprogressive
-
had been suingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing sue
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:
A “whistleblower” is seeking the counsel of Michael and Olivia to sue a tech company called Colt AI, demanding they reinstate safety guardrails and an ethics committee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Unsuccessful attempts to sue Sibneft in both Russia and the British Virgin Islands led to the court proceedings in London.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
That stuck in Steinbrenner’s craw; Mr. Winfield had to sue him multiple times to get him to pay up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
The petition ostensibly focuses on the procedural issue of the parents’ standing to sue.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
He added, “And if that doesn’t work, we can sue the county.”
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
With Lisa's team in crisis mode, documentarian Sue Kim followed Lisa into her dressing room.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Bryant’s concept of franchising the show across different sports gave Manning the idea to do the same with “Peyton’s Places,” thereby creating spinoffs with his brother, Eli, John McEnroe, Sue Bird and others.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
John Ridilla and Sue Seeling-Ridilla, in Charlotte, N.C., are among those who see opportunity in the bond market these days.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
In the first episode, Jackie appeared alongside her friends, Lynn and Sue, as they were asked questions about boys at school and their hopes for the future.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
At least Sue knew enough to rub Dodger’s neck, not pet his head like a dog.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
That typically happens in advance of a criminal prosecution, when a taxpayer sues for a refund, when a U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
When Donald Trump sues the Trump Administration, can President Trump agree to a settlement?
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
Florida man sues Outback Steakhouse after toilet collapse.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 29, 2025
After first filing a breach of contract suit against Priscilla Presley in Florida, Brigitte Kruse, her former business partner, sues Presley in Los Angeles for $50 million.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2025
If Ziggy isn’t found, what if Mae sues us?
From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks
“As attorney general, I’ve sued some of the largest companies in the world … for taking advantage of our kids by exposing them to dangerous, addictive material,” Paxton said after defeating Cornyn in May.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
Ali sued GB News presenter Alex Armstrong and social media commentator Bernadette Spofforth for defamation over posts on X. Both have apologised and agreed to pay "substantial damages".
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
On Wednesday, prosecutors from eight US states also sued ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, a rival AI lab that could go public next year, for allegedly concealing certain risks and implementing inadequate safeguards.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Last month a state judge ordered the city to redo its rollout of the tax after a group of homeowners sued.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
I would have sued for a million dollars!
From "Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago" by LeAlan Jones
In a major suit filed this week, a 26-year-old Texas woman using the pseudonym Maria Puerto is suing under H.B.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
Pakistani farmers are suing two companies in Germany, including a cement manufacturer.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
San Diego County jumped into California’s sprawling ghost gun fight this week, suing a 3-D printing filament manufacturer it says hocks material for homespun firearms in violation of state law.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
They are suing the company for wrongful death.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
He told her that, depending on what the engineer found, it could be worth suing the state.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
