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• chase
  chase

  verb (used with object)

  to pursue in order to seize, overtake, etc..
• Chase
  Chase

  noun

  Mary Ellen, 1887–1973, U.S. educator, novelist, and essayist.

chase

¹ American  

[chays] / tʃeɪs /

verb (used with object)

chased, chasing

1. to pursue in order to seize, overtake, etc..

   The police officer chased the thief.

2. to pursue with intent to capture or kill, as game; hunt.

   to chase deer.

3. to follow or devote one's attention to with the hope of attracting, winning, gaining, etc..

   He chased her for three years before she consented to marry him.

4. to drive or expel by force, threat, or harassment.

   She chased the cat out of the room.

   Synonyms:

   scatter, rout, oust

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verb (used without object)

chased, chasing

1. to follow in pursuit.

   to chase after someone.

2. to rush or hasten.

   We spent the weekend chasing around from one store to another.

noun

1. the act of chasing; pursuit.

   The chase lasted a day.

   Synonyms:

   quest, hunt

2. an object of pursuit; something chased.

3. Chiefly British. a private game preserve; a tract of privately owned land reserved for, and sometimes stocked with, animals and birds to be hunted.

4. British. the right of keeping game or of hunting on the land of others.

5. a steeplechase.

6. the chase, the sport or occupation of hunting.

   the excitement of the chase.

verb phrase

1. give chase to pursue.

   The hunt began and the dogs gave chase.

idioms

1. cut to the chase, to get to the main point.

chase ² American  

[chays] / tʃeɪs /

noun

1. a rectangular iron frame in which composed type is secured or locked for printing or platemaking.

2. Building Trades. a space or groove in a masonry wall or through a floor for pipes or ducts.

3. a groove, furrow, or trench; a lengthened hollow.

4. Ordnance.

   1. the part of a gun in front of the trunnions.

   2. the part containing the bore.

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chase ³ American  

[chays] / tʃeɪs /

verb (used with object)

chased, chasing

1. to ornament (metal) by engraving or embossing.

2. to cut (a screw thread), as with a chaser or machine tool.

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Chase ⁴ American  

[chays] / tʃeɪs /

noun

1. Mary Ellen, 1887–1973, U.S. educator, novelist, and essayist.

2. Salmon Portland 1808–73, U.S. jurist and statesman: secretary of the treasury 1861–64; chief justice of the U.S. 1864–73.

3. Samuel, 1741–1811, U.S. jurist and leader in the American Revolution: associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1796–1811.

4. Stuart, 1888–1985, U.S. economist and writer.

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chase ¹ British  

/ tʃeɪs /

verb

1. to follow or run after (a person, animal, or goal) persistently or quickly

2. (tr; often foll by out, away, or off) to force to run (away); drive (out)

3. informal (tr) to court (a member of the opposite sex) in an unsubtle manner

4. informal to pursue persistently and energetically in order to obtain results, information, etc

   chase up the builders and get a delivery date

5. informal (intr) to hurry; rush

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noun

1. the act of chasing; pursuit

2. any quarry that is pursued

3. an unenclosed area of land where wild animals are preserved to be hunted

4. the right to hunt a particular quarry over the land of others

5. the act or sport of hunting

6. short for steeplechase

7. real tennis a ball that bounces twice, requiring the point to be played again

8. informal to start talking about the important aspects of something

9. to pursue (a person, animal, or thing) actively

chase ² British  

/ tʃeɪs /

noun

1. printing a rectangular steel or cast-iron frame into which metal type and blocks making up pages are locked for printing or plate-making

2. the part of a gun barrel from the front of the trunnions to the muzzle

3. a groove or channel, esp one that is cut in a wall to take a pipe, cable, etc

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verb

1. Also: chamfer. to cut a groove, furrow, or flute in (a surface, column, etc)

chase ³ British  

/ tʃeɪs /

verb

1. Also: enchase. to ornament (metal) by engraving or embossing

2. to form or finish (a screw thread) with a chaser

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chase More Idioms  

1. see ambulance chaser; cut to the chase; give chase; go fly a kite (chase yourself); lead a merry chase; run (chase) after; wild goose chase.

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Other Word Forms

• chaseable
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of chase¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English chacen, chacien, from Middle French chasser “to hunt,” Old French chacier, from unattested Vulgar Latin captiāre; see catch

Origin of chase²

First recorded in 1570–80; from Middle French chas, chasse, from Late Latin capsus (masculine), capsum (neuter) “fully or partly enclosed space,” variant of capsa case ²

Origin of chase³

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English chased (past participle); shortened variant of enchase

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Explanation

To chase is to follow or go after someone or something you want. This activity is called a chase. Dogs chase cats, cats chase mice, and mice are in big trouble. The word chase tried to run away from the Old French word chacier for "to hunt or strive for,” but we caught it. Any time you’re trying to get something that’s trying to get away from you, you chase it. Police officers chase criminals, and kids playing tag chase each other all over the yard. You can also chase things that aren't physical, like a dream or a goal. This activity itself is called a chase.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chase Chase chased chasing

To cut to the chase: All this permabull mantra about stocks for the long term, and “average” stock-market returns of 6% or 7% a year plus inflation, need enormous caveats.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

"Augusta has given me some of the greatest moments of my life, and I'd love nothing more than to chase another green jacket at such a special place."

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

“My grandmother told me the truth always outruns a lie. She taught me not to chase the lie, just give the truth time to catch it.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

His 2022 arrest came after a police chase that crossed state lines into North Carolina.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

“Shoo...shoo,” Ella hollered even though she usually loved it when he'd appear in her room or chase her around, making tornadoes together until Mama fussed about the mess.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

Firms with agreements to use the new service include Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and State Street.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

“Unfortunately, these MCAs, the way that they’re usually administered, tend to harm small businesses,” said David Chase, a vice president at the advocacy group Small Business Majority.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

But Friedman pointed out to his 200,000-plus followers that Chase wasn’t necessarily checking whether those claiming the points actually tried buying tickets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

Police and paramedics attended the address on Hedley Chase and gave the man treatment, but he was pronounced dead a short time later.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

Chase took a step toward the boy, but Nicole grabbed his arm and pulled him down a breezeway where no one could hear them.

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

Eight minutes after the break, Young chased down a grubber kick to bring up 40 points - before Jez Litten and Williams cut through a tiring defence and Victor Radley scored unopposed.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Bumblebees, solitary bees and hoverflies would avoid, be displaced by and on some occasions be chased off by honey bees.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

Police chased protesters away before firefighters brought the blaze under control.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

And at East Bay Hardware, Emma chased a squirrel into the store that took two days to remove.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

He squirmed on his mat, wishing uselessly that Headmaster hadn’t selected him, picturing the cub chased by a hungry crocodile, counting the minutes until the sun would finally rise.

From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins

The Croatian CEO of Bugatti vowed on Thursday to stop leaving keys inside cars after his multi-million-dollar Chiron was stolen and recovered in Austria with him chasing the thief in a Porsche.

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

To beat the luxury shopping slowdown, e-commerce company LuxExperience is sacrificing casual buyers and chasing the superrich.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

The video shows members of the civilian group chasing and holding Ruiz.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

For days, he said, he had seen ICE out in front of the restaurant, chasing people around the parking lot, though they weren’t here now.

From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026

“I’m as sore and stiff as an old hound dog that has been chasing a fox all night.”

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

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Related Words

• drive
• drive away
• expel
• follow
• go after
• hound
• hunt
• run down
• rush
• tear
• track
• trail

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