pursue

[ per-soo ]

/ pərˈsu /

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See synonyms for: pursue / pursued / pursuing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), pur·sued, pur·su·ing.

to follow in order to overtake, capture, kill, etc.; chase.

to follow close upon; go with; attend: Bad luck pursued him.

to strive to gain; seek to attain or accomplish (an end, object, purpose, etc.).

to proceed in accordance with (a method, plan, etc.).

to carry on or continue (a course of action, a train of thought, an inquiry, studies, etc.).

to continue to annoy, afflict, or trouble.

to practice (an occupation, pastime, etc.).

to continue to discuss (a subject, topic, etc.).

to follow: They pursued the river to its source. I felt their eyes pursuing me.

to continue; go on with (one's course, a journey, etc.).

verb (used without object), pur·sued, pur·su·ing.

to chase after someone or something; to follow in pursuit: They spotted the suspect but decided not to pursue.

to continue.

OTHER WORDS FOR pursue

1 hunt; track, trail.

2 dog.

See synonyms for pursue on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of pursue

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English pursuen, from Anglo-French pursuer, ultimately from Latin prōsequī “to pursue, follow, continue”; see pro-¹, sue, prosecute

historical usage of pursue

The current spelling of the English verb pursue dates from about 1300. It is one of several former spellings, including perseve, pursiew, pursuwe. The Middle English variants come from Anglo-French and Old French porsure, poursuire, porsivre (with many other spelling variants), ultimately from Latin prōsequi “to attend (with honors or compliments), go in pursuit of, follow with hostile intent, harry, examine or follow up (a subject or topic), continue,” which is the source of English prosecute
The many Latin meanings of prōsequi carry over into Old French and Middle English, and by the end of the Middle English period, the word pursue already had all of its current meanings. On the other hand, the word prosecute originally meant “to follow up, pursue, continue,” but shortly afterward, in the early 16th century, it took on its primary current meaning “to institute legal proceedings.”

OTHER WORDS FROM pursue

pur·su·a·ble, adjectiveout·pur·sue, verb (used with object), out·pur·sued, out·pur·su·ing.re·pur·sue, verb (used with object), re·pur·sued, re·pur·su·ing.un·pur·su·a·ble, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pursue

peruse, pursue

Words nearby pursue

purse-string suture, purslane, purslane family, pursuance, pursuant, pursue, pursued, pursuer, pursuing, pursuit, pursuit plane

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pursue in a sentence

This strategy will likely result in substantial death and suffering in countries that are not able to pursue these deals.
A coronavirus vaccine will save more lives if we share it widely|Kat Eschner|September 17, 2020|Popular-Science
She forms her closest friendship with Svetlana, who “sounded really different when she spoke Serbo-Croatian,” and she pursues Ivan, who speaks Hungarian and who also speaks the language of pure mathematics.
The true love story in Elif Batuman’s The Idiot is a love affair with language|Constance Grady|September 11, 2020|Vox
So Naftogaz advised its government not to pursue a gas deal with the Louisiana company.
Rick Perry’s Ukrainian Dream|by Simon Shuster, TIME, and Ilya Marritz, WNYC|September 10, 2020|ProPublica
I always felt I didn’t have the skill set to lead a company in making an impact on the future, because I didn’t pursue a doctorate and instead had a “fox-like” career.
Book recommendations from Fortune’s 40 under 40 in health|Rachel King|September 9, 2020|Fortune

Elsewhere, districts are pursuing tutoring models to provide personalized in-person or remote academic support.
Creative school plans could counter inequities exposed by COVID-19|Sujata Gupta|September 8, 2020|Science News
Or (horrors) he could reach out to congressional leaders in both parties to pursue bipartisan legislation.
Obama’s Pot Policy Is Refer Madness|James Poulos|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Choosing not to pursue a perpetrator is not admittance of lies or false motives.
The Right's Rape Trolls vs. Lena Dunham|Emily Shire|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was only once he directed and starred in his own short film that he decided to pursue acting as a vocation.
Renaissance Man Jared Leto Defies Categorization|The Daily Beast|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Around 2005, Drew flew west to pursue a career in acting while Jonathan ran the business in Calgary.
How the Property Brothers Became Your Mom’s Favorite TV Stars|Kevin Fallon|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Prosectors decided not to pursue charges against the accused.
The Ten Worst Uber Horror Stories|Olivia Nuzzi|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mankind, mad with the energy of activity, would be seen to pursue the fleeing phantom of insatiable desire.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
As Farrar rode slowly down the mountain, leading his recovered horse, he revolved in his thoughts what course to pursue.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
And we will mount upon swift ones: therefore shall they be swifter that shall pursue after you.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
It is a thing invented by the great to enable them to pursue the grinding and oppression of the small.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
We thought that we should now quietly pursue our way upon the placid sea, trusting confidently in its peaceful name.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer

British Dictionary definitions for pursue

pursue

/ (pəˈsjuː) /

verb -sues, -suing or -sued (mainly tr)

(also intr) to follow (a fugitive, etc) in order to capture or overtake

(esp of something bad or unlucky) to follow closely or accompanyill health pursued her

to seek or strive to attain (some object, desire, etc)

to follow the precepts of (a plan, policy, etc)

to apply oneself to (one's studies, hobbies, etc)

to follow persistently or seek to become acquainted with

to continue to discuss or argue (a point, subject, etc)

Derived forms of pursue

pursuer, noun

Word Origin for pursue

C13: from Anglo-Norman pursiwer, from Old French poursivre, from Latin prōsequī to follow after

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pursue

OTHER WORDS FOR pursue

Origin of pursue

historical usage of pursue

OTHER WORDS FROM pursue

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pursue

Words nearby pursue

Words related to pursue

How to use pursue in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pursue

Derived forms of pursue

Word Origin for pursue