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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

Sullivan had expressed very clear views on the future of West Ham's most sought-after players, Mateus Fernandes and skipper Jarrod Bowen.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

But he said competition was fierce for this highly sought-after profile.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

At that point, he relocated to a much bigger—and more expensive—spread in Beverly Hills’ highly sought-after Trousdale Estates neighborhood.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

According to data from SeatGeek, the average Finals ticket in New York costs around $6,000—the most sought-after Finals ticket ever tracked.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Now potters used wood ash deliberately, each with his own secret formula, to produce the sought-after glaze.

From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park

Related Words

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