pursued

American  

[per-sood] / pərˈsud /

adjective

1. followed by a person or animal wishing to overtake, capture, kill, etc.; chased.

   Dogs' keen sense of smell and hunting instinct make it difficult for a pursued animal to escape.

2. being the goal or purpose that motivates a person’s striving or effort.

   Every phrase in the document has been carefully weighed to serve the pursued objective.

3. carried on or continued.

   Going from one university to another for short stays might be less beneficial than a steadily pursued course at one place.

4. practiced, as an occupation, pastime, etc..

   Whether as a hobby or as a career, music and dance have always been among the most highly pursued performing arts.

5. studied or discussed over some time.

   This publication focuses on the long pursued question of best timing for orthodontic treatment.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of pursue.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unpursued
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of pursued

pursue ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

When the police arrived, he fled his vehicle, escaped from the highway, and ran through our neighborhood while the police pursued by car, helicopter and on foot.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

He has also pursued "third country" agreements that allows the United states to send people to countries where they have no ties.

From Barron's • May 30, 2026

Researchers have pursued this concept for years because it could increase interlayer connectivity by a factor of 10 to 100 compared with conventional stacking methods.

From Science Daily • May 30, 2026

Under Madalon, Princeton—which, standard for Ivy League schools, doesn’t offer athletic scholarships—hasn’t pursued players in the transfer portal.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

“You have an apprentice,” pursued the stranger, “commonly known as Pip? Is he here?”

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

Related Words

• followed