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• chase
  chase

  verb (used with object)

  to pursue in order to seize, overtake, etc..
• Chase
  Chase

  noun

  Mary Ellen, 1887–1973, U.S. educator, novelist, and essayist.

chase

¹ American  

[chays] / tʃeɪs /

verb (used with object)

chased, chasing

1. to pursue in order to seize, overtake, etc..

   The police officer chased the thief.

2. to pursue with intent to capture or kill, as game; hunt.

   to chase deer.

3. to follow or devote one's attention to with the hope of attracting, winning, gaining, etc..

   He chased her for three years before she consented to marry him.

4. to drive or expel by force, threat, or harassment.

   She chased the cat out of the room.

   Synonyms:

   scatter, rout, oust

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verb (used without object)

chased, chasing

1. to follow in pursuit.

   to chase after someone.

2. to rush or hasten.

   We spent the weekend chasing around from one store to another.

noun

1. the act of chasing; pursuit.

   The chase lasted a day.

   Synonyms:

   quest, hunt

2. an object of pursuit; something chased.

3. Chiefly British. a private game preserve; a tract of privately owned land reserved for, and sometimes stocked with, animals and birds to be hunted.

4. British. the right of keeping game or of hunting on the land of others.

5. a steeplechase.

6. the chase, the sport or occupation of hunting.

   the excitement of the chase.

verb phrase

1. give chase to pursue.

   The hunt began and the dogs gave chase.

idioms

1. cut to the chase, to get to the main point.

chase ² American  

[chays] / tʃeɪs /

noun

1. a rectangular iron frame in which composed type is secured or locked for printing or platemaking.

2. Building Trades. a space or groove in a masonry wall or through a floor for pipes or ducts.

3. a groove, furrow, or trench; a lengthened hollow.

4. Ordnance.

   1. the part of a gun in front of the trunnions.

   2. the part containing the bore.

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chase ³ American  

[chays] / tʃeɪs /

verb (used with object)

chased, chasing

1. to ornament (metal) by engraving or embossing.

2. to cut (a screw thread), as with a chaser or machine tool.

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Chase ⁴ American  

[chays] / tʃeɪs /

noun

1. Mary Ellen, 1887–1973, U.S. educator, novelist, and essayist.

2. Salmon Portland 1808–73, U.S. jurist and statesman: secretary of the treasury 1861–64; chief justice of the U.S. 1864–73.

3. Samuel, 1741–1811, U.S. jurist and leader in the American Revolution: associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1796–1811.

4. Stuart, 1888–1985, U.S. economist and writer.

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chase ¹ British  

/ tʃeɪs /

verb

1. to follow or run after (a person, animal, or goal) persistently or quickly

2. (tr; often foll by out, away, or off) to force to run (away); drive (out)

3. informal (tr) to court (a member of the opposite sex) in an unsubtle manner

4. informal to pursue persistently and energetically in order to obtain results, information, etc

   chase up the builders and get a delivery date

5. informal (intr) to hurry; rush

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noun

1. the act of chasing; pursuit

2. any quarry that is pursued

3. an unenclosed area of land where wild animals are preserved to be hunted

4. the right to hunt a particular quarry over the land of others

5. the act or sport of hunting

6. short for steeplechase

7. real tennis a ball that bounces twice, requiring the point to be played again

8. informal to start talking about the important aspects of something

9. to pursue (a person, animal, or thing) actively

chase ² British  

/ tʃeɪs /

noun

1. printing a rectangular steel or cast-iron frame into which metal type and blocks making up pages are locked for printing or plate-making

2. the part of a gun barrel from the front of the trunnions to the muzzle

3. a groove or channel, esp one that is cut in a wall to take a pipe, cable, etc

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verb

1. Also: chamfer. to cut a groove, furrow, or flute in (a surface, column, etc)

chase ³ British  

/ tʃeɪs /

verb

1. Also: enchase. to ornament (metal) by engraving or embossing

2. to form or finish (a screw thread) with a chaser

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chase More Idioms  

1. see ambulance chaser; cut to the chase; give chase; go fly a kite (chase yourself); lead a merry chase; run (chase) after; wild goose chase.

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Other Word Forms

• chaseable
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of chase¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English chacen, chacien, from Middle French chasser “to hunt,” Old French chacier, from unattested Vulgar Latin captiāre; see catch

Origin of chase²

First recorded in 1570–80; from Middle French chas, chasse, from Late Latin capsus (masculine), capsum (neuter) “fully or partly enclosed space,” variant of capsa case ²

Origin of chase³

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English chased (past participle); shortened variant of enchase

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Explanation

To chase is to follow or go after someone or something you want. This activity is called a chase. Dogs chase cats, cats chase mice, and mice are in big trouble. The word chase tried to run away from the Old French word chacier for "to hunt or strive for,” but we caught it. Any time you’re trying to get something that’s trying to get away from you, you chase it. Police officers chase criminals, and kids playing tag chase each other all over the yard. You can also chase things that aren't physical, like a dream or a goal. This activity itself is called a chase.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chase Chase chased chasing

Even if museums or individual artworks are alarmed, the real chase tends to begin only after the thieves have fled, Kelly said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

That backdrop has led some younger adults to chase audacious bets in the market, while others have adopted a “carpe diem” lifestyle where their earnings help support travel and experiences instead of savings.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

“FOMO starts to kick in. But you are not going to chase the names that are leading the market higher — you are going to go into some of the relative laggards.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 11, 2026

Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland are also involved in the play-offs as they chase World Cup places.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

“Not cool,” Taylor says, and joins Owen and Leo’s chase.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

California has hundreds of licensed home lenders, which include large national banks such as Chase, online lenders including Rocket Mortgage, and regional and community banks, as well as credit unions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup reported higher third-quarter profits, fueled in part by AI-related revenue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

“The data shows a clear shift in what success looks like for today’s renters. Instead of focusing on homeownership, many are prioritizing financial freedom and debt-free living,” Chase Harrington, president of Entrata, told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

JPMorgan Chase reported a profit of $15.31 billion, falling short of Wall Street expectations due to a slowdown in markets and investment banking.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Chase wasn’t sure what to expect, but his father looked perfectly at ease in front of the camera, as if he’d been on TV every day of his life.

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

Police chased protesters away before firefighters brought the blaze under control.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

A teacher who chased the boy following the attack described how the then 15-year-old had "legged it".

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

She said the bird had chased off her husband and a neighbor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

It marked the start of a reckoning for the British tabloid media, which was blamed for hounding her after the car in which she was a passenger was chased by paparazzi before crashing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

When it growled if Zeke tried to come near, when it sometimes even bared its teeth at him and barked and chased him out of her room.

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness

He followed that up with an AI-generated video that struck a celebratory tone, showing Trump chasing away a tiger while remaining unharmed.

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

“As they become more numerous, I think you’re starting to see more and more people that are chasing after anything regardless of price,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

Rather than actively chasing prey, the snake may have relied on ambush tactics, remaining concealed until another animal came within striking distance.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

Before chasing higher rates, bond buyers have to figure out what type of investor they actually are.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Finally the dogs can stand it no longer and they take off from the trail, chasing one of the hares, and I get a thrilling ride down a long hill.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

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Related Words

• drive
• drive away
• expel
• follow
• go after
• hound
• hunt
• run down
• rush
• tear
• track
• trail

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