quest
Americannoun
-
quests
plural
-
a search or pursuit made in order to find or obtain something.
a quest for uranium mines;
a quest for knowledge.
-
Classical and Medieval Legend. an adventurous expedition undertaken by a knight or knights to secure or achieve something.
the quest of the Holy Grail.
-
those engaged in such an expedition.
-
British Dialect. inquest.
-
Obsolete. a jury of inquest.
verb (used without object)
-
quests,
present (3rd person singular)
-
quested,
past participle, past
-
questing
present participle
-
to search; seek (often followed by for orafter ).
to quest after hidden treasure.
-
to go on a quest.
-
Hunting. (of a dog)
-
to search for game.
-
to bay or give tongue in pursuit of game.
-
verb (used with object)
-
quests,
present (3rd person singular)
-
quested,
past participle, past
-
questing
present participle
noun
-
the act or an instance of looking for or seeking; search
a quest for diamonds
-
(in medieval romance) an expedition by a knight or company of knights to accomplish some prescribed task, such as finding the Holy Grail
-
the object of a search; goal or target
my quest is the treasure of the king
-
rare a collection of alms
verb
-
to go in search (of)
-
to go on a quest
-
-
to search for game
-
to bay when in pursuit of game
-
-
rare to collect alms
-
archaic (also tr) to go in search of (a thing); seek or pursue
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
questsimple
-
questssimple
-
have questedperfect
-
has questedperfect
-
am questingprogressive
-
are questingprogressive
-
is questingprogressive
-
have been questingperfect progressive
-
has been questingperfect progressive
Past
-
questedsimple
-
had questedperfect
-
was questingprogressive
-
were questingprogressive
-
had been questingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of quest
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English noun queste, from Old French, from Latin quaesīta, feminine past participle of quaerere “to seek”; Middle English verb derivative of the noun
Explanation
A quest is all about seeking something important, and it often involves a journey. You would travel the world in a quest for gold. You would not travel to the front of the lunchroom in a quest for tater tots. Knights in the Middle Ages were forever taking on quests––most famously to find the Holy Grail. In modern times, you can quest without ever leaving home, thanks to the Internet. A scientist might embark on a quest to find the cure for cancer. A detective might quest for the truth.
Vocabulary lists containing quest
Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Freak the Mighty
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"What Is the Horror Genre?" Vocabulary from the literary criticism
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
In their quest, personal glory and public vanity are forever at odds.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026
Our country began with a quest for abundant land, and we now find ourselves facing self-inflicted housing shortages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Ash Dykes, 35, from Old Colwyn, Conwy, holds five world records but his most recent quest was the first of six back-to-back expeditions he will take on in extreme environments.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
Danny Palumbo went on a quest to find out.
From Slate ● Oct. 24, 2026
Mrs. Fischer gabs about our quest to save the coyote until Ms. Andrews cuts her off.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
And in the pursuit of survival, there’s rarely time for side quests.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
In addition to checking off my goals, I was also heavily encouraged to shop for my bird’s closet, furnish his apartment, and complete the in-app quests.
From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026
Fittingly, the art on the album’s cover is a 15th-century rendering of a knight on a quest, and the outcome of quests are notoriously unpredictable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Actress and author Celia Imrie will speak about her memoir Elegant Hustler, in which she shares tales from her travels, from Arctic quests for the Northern Lights to exploring India's railways.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
“The knights are to go on quests, aren’t they, to fight against Might? What are you trying to stop me for? It’s the whole point of the idea.”
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
But the University of Liverpool academic tells Radio 1 Newsbeat that's "possible but highly improbable", as anyone who's quested for that final, obscure sticker will know.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2022
As for Bimini, it’s the name of a Bahamian island chain and the supposed site of the mythic Fountain of Youth quested after by Ponce de Leon, the early 16th century Spanish explorer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 28, 2021
A few days ago in a galaxy not so far away, an estimated 65,000 “Star Wars” fans from across the globe quested their way to the biggest convention center in the United States.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2019
Don’t call me evil—or “toxic”—because I’ve never quested after the liquid sublime.
From Slate ● Nov. 20, 2013
They set off again, the hunters bunched a little by fear of the mentioned beast, while Jack quested ahead.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
The Irish Times describes it as a "an endearingly honest, questing record about friendship, faith, art, meaning and, appropriately for Easter, death and the possibility of rebirth".
From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026
There he encountered climbers questing to conquer the Seven Summits—the highest mountain peaks on each continent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026
A long-time proponent of independence for his Flemish-speaking region, he would be loath to relinquish the post of prime minister after years of questing for the top job.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2025
The more elaborate the setup, the more active the crabs become, climbing, crawling, and exploring with their endlessly questing antennae.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2025
We had come down the short flight of stairs, and she opened another door, standing aside for me to pass through, her dark eyes questing my face.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
