sought
Americanverb
verb
Other Word Forms
Explanation
I have long sought an answer to the following question: If sought is the past tense of seek, how come you say "we played hide and seek all afternoon" instead of "we hid and sought all afternoon?" Seek means to look for, and sought is what you say when you're done with the looking. "As a young man, I sought my fortune. Now it is time for me to sit by the fire, searching for the long-sought-after answer to the timeless question 'What did it all mean?'"
Vocabulary lists containing sought
"O Captain! My Captain!" Vocabulary from the poem
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Word Generation Weekly - Series 3
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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.
The probe's revelations sparked lawsuits that in some cases sought compensation running into the millions.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Oil is vital to the economy and everyday living, and Boulder County hasn’t sought to ban it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
He also did volunteer work at the Los Angeles International Dream Center, where he was welcomed warmly by the poor families and troubled youths who sought a fresh start there.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Ellison, who hosted a dinner for President Donald Trump earlier this year, has sought to reassure people that editorial independence will be maintained.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
As a matter of fact, it came first to Jop, the seventeen-year-old apprentice who had sought a safe home at the Beje.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
