seek
Americanverb (used with object)
-
seeks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sought,
past participle, past
-
seeking
present participle
-
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)
-
seeks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sought,
past participle, past
-
seeking
present participle
idioms
verb
-
to try to find by searching; look for
to seek a solution
-
(also intr) to try to obtain or acquire
to seek happiness
-
to attempt (to do something); try
I'm only seeking to help
-
(also intr) to enquire about or request (something)
to seek help
-
to go or resort to
to seek the garden for peace
-
an archaic word for explore
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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seeksimple
-
seekssimple
-
have soughtperfect
-
has soughtperfect
-
am seekingprogressive
-
are seekingprogressive
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is seekingprogressive
-
have been seekingperfect progressive
-
has been seekingperfect progressive
Past
-
soughtsimple
-
had soughtperfect
-
was seekingprogressive
-
were seekingprogressive
-
had been seekingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of seek
First recorded 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
Explanation
If you seek an accordion player for your new polka band, it means you are looking for a band mate. When you seek something, you try to find it. It's possible to seek fame, or snacks, or a college degree, or approval — as long as you're looking for it, or longing for it, you're seeking it. The origins of the word seek go back to the Latin word sagire, which means "to perceive keenly by scent." Imagine a dog tracking a rabbit, sniffing the ground and following its scent, and you'll know exactly what it means to seek something.
Vocabulary lists containing seek
"Earthquake"
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Word Generation Social Studies - Experiences of Two Children in Warn-torn Sudan
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"Brother Ray" and "Power of the Powerless"
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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.
See Examples For:
High prices encourage consumers to conserve resources and seek alternatives, while for producers they motivate more investment to capture those extraordinary profits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
“For teamLab, through art, we seek to explore what perception is and what existence is,” said Toshiyuki Inoko, a founder of TeamLab, in a release announcing the exhibit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Mourinho doesn't seek to control every decision his players make but instead looks to prepare them to find solutions for themselves; with better players, these solutions should, in theory, be better.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
When companies with similar businesses look to combine, regulators seek to assess whether the proposed merger could stifle competition in the market.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
“I’m going to seek peace in every possible way,” he declared.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
So this type of relative reduction in anticipated welfare spending, rather than a cut in absolute cash terms, could be what the government seeks to deliver.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
US tech tycoon Elon Musk is "truly a genius" for deploying thousands of satellites into orbit, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday, as Moscow seeks to develop its own satellite internet network.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
“He wants to connect with his wife and other people, so he seeks it out,” Skarsgård says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
Nearly 80% of all-inclusive resorts have become ‘luxury or upper upscale,’ Bernstein analysts say, as the industry seeks higher-income travelers able to weather inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
“He seeks revenge, and yet he shuns it.”
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
If the deal closes, it could affect the chip company’s current high market share of between 60% and 65% as alternative suppliers could be sought out.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
On Sunday, Rezaei took the rare step of meeting with security chiefs from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey in Tehran, as all sides sought de-escalation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
It is unclear whether the money will be enough to meet the project's funding needs - Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram previously sought £50m in government support.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
In one era, people sought out bookstores; in another, they’re looking for headphones and portable chargers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Although her main job involved tracking spies and ships for the Treasury Department and the Coast Guard, others in Washington sought her help, too.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Dodgers owner Mark Walter is seeking to sell the WNBA’s Sparks for a record valuation amid ongoing investigations into his companies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
By seeking out shoppers who spend around $50,000 a year on their wardrobes, and shop one of the company’s platforms 10 to 15 times in 12 months, executives knew they would lose some sales.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Kinshasa is seeking the withdrawal of Rwandan forces from its territory.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
In light of the plea, McNeilly said Soliman had dropped motions seeking to keep his family from being deported from the US in case they needed to be witnesses in his case.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
I looked about me wildly, seeking to see even in that darkness.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
