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sought

[ sawt ]

/ sɔt /

||

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verb

simple past tense and past participle of seek.

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RELATED WORDS

hunted, needed, desired

Nearby words

soufflot, jacques germain, soufflé, souffre-douleur, soufrière, sough, sought, sought after, sought-after, souk, soukous, soul

Related formsself-sought, adjectiveun·sought, adjective

Definition for sought (2 of 2)

seek

[ seek ]

/ sik /

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.

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

SYNONYMS FOR seek

3 pursue, follow.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR seek ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsout·seek, 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. 2019

Examples from the Web for sought

For a while yoga and pilates classes were sought out at luxury gyms like Equinox.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Their friendship began when Krauss, who was chairman of the physics department at Case Western in Cleveland, sought out Epstein.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking|M.L. Nestel|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Where the U.S. once sought to train several divisions worth, the latest effort is for just 3,000 troops.
Pentagon Insider on New Plan to Fight ISIS: ‘Of Course It’s Not Enough’|Nancy A. Youssef|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
On Friday, the story had looked like it might blow over as Buckingham Palace sought to dismiss it as a “civil case.”
Buckingham Palace Disputes Sex Allegations Against Prince ‘Randy Andy’|Tom Sykes|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Two and a half millennia ago, Siddhartha Gautama sought enlightenment.
The Buddhist Business of Poaching Animals for Good Karma|Brendon Hong|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The next morning, in a panic, Fargus had sought out Bofinger.
Max Fargus|Owen Johnson
But when Kaku sought Merytra to tell her the glad tidings that she was his, he could not find her.
Morning Star|H. Rider Haggard
He sought very diligently to anticipate some at least of these informing thrusts by making great use of Coote.
Kipps|H. G. Wells
Bach became thoroughly hurt, and sought for a means of leaving Leipsic.
Bach|Charles Francis Abdy Williams
In high school he had sought to establish himself as a hardened sinner—a drinker and tough citizen.
Gargoyles|Ben Hecht

British Dictionary definitions for sought (1 of 2)

sought

/ (sɔːt) /

verb

the past tense and past participle of seek

British Dictionary definitions for sought (2 of 2)

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 Formsseeker, 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

Word Origin and History for sought (1 of 2)

sought

past tense and past participle of seek, from Old English sohte. Sought-after is from 1881 (sought-for in same sense is from c.1600).

Word Origin and History for sought (1 of 2)

seek

v.

Old English secan "inquire, search for; pursue; long for, wish for, desire; look for, expect from," influenced by Old Norse soekja, both from Proto-Germanic *sokjan (cf. Old Saxon sokian, Old Frisian seka, Middle Dutch soekan, Old High German suohhan, German suchen, Gothic sokjan), from PIE *sag-yo-, from root *sag- "to track down, seek out" (cf. Latin sagire "to perceive quickly or keenly," sagus "presaging, predicting," Old Irish saigim "seek"). The natural modern form of the Anglo-Saxon word as uninfluenced by Norse is in beseech. Related: Sought; seeking.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with sought

seek

see play hide and seek.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.