pursue
to strive to gain; seek to attain or accomplish (an end, object, purpose, etc.).
to proceed in accordance with (a method, plan, etc.).
to carry on or continue (a course of action, a train of thought, an inquiry, studies, etc.).
to continue to annoy, afflict, or trouble.
to practice (an occupation, pastime, etc.).
to continue to discuss (a subject, topic, etc.).
to follow: They pursued the river to its source. I felt their eyes pursuing me.
to continue; go on with (one's course, a journey, etc.).
to chase after someone or something; to follow in pursuit: They spotted the suspect but decided not to pursue.
to continue.
Origin of pursue
1word story For pursue
The many Latin meanings of prōsequi carry over into Old French and Middle English, and by the end of the Middle English period, the word pursue already had all of its current meanings. On the other hand, the word prosecute originally meant “to follow up, pursue, continue,” but shortly afterward, in the early 16th century, it took on its primary current meaning “to institute legal proceedings.”
Other words for pursue
Other words from pursue
- pur·su·a·ble, adjective
- out·pur·sue, verb (used with object), out·pur·sued, out·pur·su·ing.
- re·pur·sue, verb (used with object), re·pur·sued, re·pur·su·ing.
- un·pur·su·a·ble, adjective
Words that may be confused with pursue
- peruse, pursue
Words Nearby pursue
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use pursue in a sentence
This strategy will likely result in substantial death and suffering in countries that are not able to pursue these deals.
A coronavirus vaccine will save more lives if we share it widely | Kat Eschner | September 17, 2020 | Popular-ScienceShe forms her closest friendship with Svetlana, who “sounded really different when she spoke Serbo-Croatian,” and she pursues Ivan, who speaks Hungarian and who also speaks the language of pure mathematics.
The true love story in Elif Batuman’s The Idiot is a love affair with language | Constance Grady | September 11, 2020 | VoxSo Naftogaz advised its government not to pursue a gas deal with the Louisiana company.
Rick Perry’s Ukrainian Dream | by Simon Shuster, TIME, and Ilya Marritz, WNYC | September 10, 2020 | ProPublicaI always felt I didn’t have the skill set to lead a company in making an impact on the future, because I didn’t pursue a doctorate and instead had a “fox-like” career.
Book recommendations from Fortune’s 40 under 40 in health | Rachel King | September 9, 2020 | FortuneElsewhere, districts are pursuing tutoring models to provide personalized in-person or remote academic support.
Creative school plans could counter inequities exposed by COVID-19 | Sujata Gupta | September 8, 2020 | Science News
Or (horrors) he could reach out to congressional leaders in both parties to pursue bipartisan legislation.
Choosing not to pursue a perpetrator is not admittance of lies or false motives.
It was only once he directed and starred in his own short film that he decided to pursue acting as a vocation.
Renaissance Man Jared Leto Defies Categorization | The Daily Beast | December 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAround 2005, Drew flew west to pursue a career in acting while Jonathan ran the business in Calgary.
How the Property Brothers Became Your Mom’s Favorite TV Stars | Kevin Fallon | November 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTProsectors decided not to pursue charges against the accused.
Mankind, mad with the energy of activity, would be seen to pursue the fleeing phantom of insatiable desire.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen LeacockAs Farrar rode slowly down the mountain, leading his recovered horse, he revolved in his thoughts what course to pursue.
Ramona | Helen Hunt JacksonAnd we will mount upon swift ones: therefore shall they be swifter that shall pursue after you.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousIt is a thing invented by the great to enable them to pursue the grinding and oppression of the small.
St. Martin's Summer | Rafael SabatiniWe thought that we should now quietly pursue our way upon the placid sea, trusting confidently in its peaceful name.
A Woman's Journey Round the World | Ida Pfeiffer
British Dictionary definitions for pursue
/ (pəˈsjuː) /
(also intr) to follow (a fugitive, etc) in order to capture or overtake
(esp of something bad or unlucky) to follow closely or accompany: ill health pursued her
to seek or strive to attain (some object, desire, etc)
to follow the precepts of (a plan, policy, etc)
to apply oneself to (one's studies, hobbies, etc)
to follow persistently or seek to become acquainted with
to continue to discuss or argue (a point, subject, etc)
Origin of pursue
1Derived forms of pursue
- pursuer, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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