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• sought-after
  sought-after

  adjective

  that is in demand; desirable.
• sought after
  sought after

  Also, much sought after. Very popular, in demand, as in He was much sought after as a throat specialist, particularly by singers. This expression uses the past participle of seek in the sense of “desired” or “searched for.” [Late 1800s]

sought-after

American  

[sawt-af-ter, -ahf-] / ˈsɔtˌæf tər, -ˌɑf- /

adjective

1. that is in demand; desirable.

   a sought-after speaker.

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sought-after British  

adjective

1. in demand; wanted

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sought after Idioms  

1. Also, much sought after. Very popular, in demand, as in He was much sought after as a throat specialist, particularly by singers. This expression uses the past participle of seek in the sense of “desired” or “searched for.” [Late 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of sought-after

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Even more sought after than the tapes themselves is the hardware to play them.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

The Masters gnome, introduced in 2016, is the tournament’s most highly sought after collectible.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

That agreement is highly sought after by developing countries, but India has so far balked, on principle, to plurilateral agreements within the WTO.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

By carefully changing the proportion of these elements, they discovered they could push the material from one quantum phase to another, including the sought after topological superconductor phase.

From Science Daily • Feb. 25, 2026

As an expert machinist he was sought after by many factory owners in the area.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson

Related Words

• attractive
• beloved
• famous
• fashionable
• favored
• prominent
• suitable
• trendy