seek
Americanverb (used with object)
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seeks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sought,
past participle, past
-
seeking
present participle
-
to go in search or quest of.
to seek the truth.
-
to try to find or discover by searching or questioning.
to seek the solution to a problem.
-
to try to obtain.
to seek fame.
-
to try or attempt (usually followed by an infinitive).
to seek to convince a person.
-
to go to.
to seek a place to rest.
-
to ask for; request.
to seek advice.
-
Archaic. to search or explore.
verb (used without object)
-
seeks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sought,
past participle, past
-
seeking
present participle
idioms
verb
-
to try to find by searching; look for
to seek a solution
-
(also intr) to try to obtain or acquire
to seek happiness
-
to attempt (to do something); try
I'm only seeking to help
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(also intr) to enquire about or request (something)
to seek help
-
to go or resort to
to seek the garden for peace
-
an archaic word for explore
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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seeksimple
-
seekssimple
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have soughtperfect
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has soughtperfect
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am seekingprogressive
-
are seekingprogressive
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is seekingprogressive
-
have been seekingperfect progressive
-
has been seekingperfect progressive
Past
-
soughtsimple
-
had soughtperfect
-
was seekingprogressive
-
were seekingprogressive
-
had been seekingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of seek
First recorded before 900; Middle English seken, Old English sēcan; cognate with German suchen, Old Norse sœkja, Gothic sōkjan; akin to Latin sāgīre “to perceive by scent” ( see presage, sagacity); cf. beseech
Explanation
If you seek an accordion player for your new polka band, it means you are looking for a band mate. When you seek something, you try to find it. It's possible to seek fame, or snacks, or a college degree, or approval — as long as you're looking for it, or longing for it, you're seeking it. The origins of the word seek go back to the Latin word sagire, which means "to perceive keenly by scent." Imagine a dog tracking a rabbit, sniffing the ground and following its scent, and you'll know exactly what it means to seek something.
Vocabulary lists containing seek
"Earthquake"
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Word Generation Social Studies - Experiences of Two Children in Warn-torn Sudan
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"Brother Ray" and "Power of the Powerless"
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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:
Guess which example U.S. universities will now seek to follow?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
"We should not regard screen time solely as harmful but seek balance between physical activity and screen time that promotes active thinking," Jalanko summarizes.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
The SEC can seek civil monetary penalties and the return of illegal profits, and bar or suspend an individual from serving as a corporate officer or director, among other remedies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
He later declined to seek a third presidential term, establishing the two-term tradition eventually written into the Constitution.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
With the blessing of both Sargo and Argentina’s president, Hellmuth was going to seek closer ties between his country and Hitler.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Barack Obama seeks formal legal guidance when he’s trying to decide whether he can accept the cash prize that comes along with his Nobel Peace Prize.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
Trump’s fiscal 2027 budget proposal, which seeks $1.5 trillion in defense spending, also calls for bolstering American drone production.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
That’s the conclusion of a new paper that seeks to quantify how artificial intelligence will change the energy system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Amazon runs a host of AI services and has heavily invested in the its development as it seeks to compete with Google, Meta and other technology giants.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
So, in May 1956, he placed an ad in the Ohio State Penitentiary newsletter: Physician seeks 25 volunteers for cancer research.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
For the study, a US team led by researchers at Stanford University sought to estimate how often human-caused global warming will push temperatures to levels that elderly people cannot tolerate.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Having gained insight from past experiences, they no longer sought the biggest name or highest bidder but, rather, the best collaborator.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Latin America's biggest economy has in recent months sought to boost protections for children online, obliging platforms to link the accounts of users under age 16 to their parents' accounts and verify user age.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
More recently, he was drawn into a multibillion-dollar fraud scandal surrounding failed Banco Master after acknowledging that he sought millions from its owner to finance a movie about his father.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
In late 1925, when Captain Root sought out Elizebeth, the Coast Guard was in trouble.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
She fell behind on her payments four months ago and is now seeking to reschedule her debt.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Monday's vigil came as more than 90,000 people signed a Good Law Project petition seeking an inquiry into media coverage of Arday.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
The trend has been a boon to energy infrastructure-focused fund managers seeking to sell assets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
“We are interpreting the flows in August as clients seeking to add duration once yields hit historic highs,” a BlackRock spokesperson said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
“Oh yes? Where is this store? And whyever are you seeking employment elsewhere?”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Definitions 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.
