seek

[ seek ]

/ sik /

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See synonyms for: seek / seeking / seeks / sought on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), sought, seek·ing.

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), sought, seek·ing.

to make inquiry.

OTHER WORDS FOR seek

3 pursue, follow.

See synonyms for seek on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about seek

be sought after, to be desired or in demand: Graduates in the physical sciences are most sought after by employers these days.

Origin of seek

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

OTHER WORDS FROM seek

outseek, verb (used with object), out·sought, out·seek·ing.re·seek, verb (used with object), re·sought, re·seek·ing.un·seek·ing, adjective

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

How to use seek in a sentence

Roblox opens its books, Snap makes an acquisition and Pfizer and BioNTech seek regulatory approval for their vaccine.
Daily Crunch: Roblox is going public|Anthony Ha|November 20, 2020|TechCrunch
The companies are also seeking authorization to distribute the vaccine in Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, the United Kingdom and other parts of the world, making its deep-freeze problem a global challenge.
Here’s why COVID-19 vaccines like Pfizer’s need to be kept so cold|Tina Hesman Saey|November 20, 2020|Science News
An Initial Public Offering is the promised land for startup pilgrims who may wander the desert for years seeking product-market fit.
Extra Crunch roundup: A fistful of IPOs, Affirm’s Peloton problem, Zoom Apps and more|Walter Thompson|November 20, 2020|TechCrunch
The co-founder of the digital-news site Vox will leave the organization and join the New York Times, in another sign of upheaval among start-up companies that have sought to challenge “legacy” news operations.
Ezra Klein leaves Vox, the website he founded, for New York Times, in a digital media A-list exodus|Paul Farhi, Sarah Ellison|November 20, 2020|Washington Post

The start-up also is seeking to license its technology to other e-scooter companies across multiple countries, including the United States, in the coming years.
E-scooters are getting computer vision to curb pedestrian collisions|Dalvin Brown|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
Most often, the doctrine is invoked by minors seeking an abortion without parental consent.
Should Teens Have The Right To Die?|Brandy Zadrozny|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The detectives are still at it, seeking to account for a period of time when Brinsley may well have paused to sit somewhere.
Exclusive: Inside a Cop-Killer’s Final Hours|Michael Daly|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Most other social justice movements are seeking some shift of power and money.
The Real Story Behind the Fight for Marriage Equality|E.J. Graff|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The child almost died from the delay of an hour in seeking help.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Either way, guests seeking a holiday getaway there can also enjoy a tingle of telling truth to power by posting their own reviews.
Inside the ‘Surprisingly Great’ North Korean Hacker Hotel|Michael Daly|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But they soon fell out, for Murat had the audacity to try and make these patriots fight instead of merely seeking plunder.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
He returned to the hotel, and, eluding a gossip-seeking landlady, went up to his room.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
Old Holmes furrowed his brow and closed one eye, seeking with the other the inspiration of the sky.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
My entrails were troubled in seeking her: therefore shall I possess a good possession.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
However, she was not seeking refreshment or help from any source, either external or from within.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

British Dictionary definitions for seek

seek

/ (siːk) /

verb seeks, seeking or sought (mainly tr)

(when intr, often foll by for or after) to try to find by searching; look forto seek a solution

(also intr) to try to obtain or acquireto seek happiness

to attempt (to do something); tryI'm only seeking to help

(also intr) to enquire about or request (something)to seek help

to go or resort toto seek the garden for peace

an archaic word for explore

Derived forms of seek

seeker, noun

Word Origin for seek

Old English sēcan; related to Old Norse sōkja, Gothic sōkjan, Old High German suohhen, Latin sāgīre to perceive by scent; see beseech

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with seek

seek

see play hide and seek.

seek

OTHER WORDS FOR seek

Idioms about seek

Origin of seek

OTHER WORDS FROM seek

Words related to seek

How to use seek in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for seek

Derived forms of seek

Word Origin for seek

Other Idioms and Phrases with seek