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pursue

verb
pur·​sue | \ pÉ™r-ˈsü How to pronounce pursue (audio) , -ˈsyü\
pursued; pursuing

Definition of pursue

transitive verb

1 : to follow in order to overtake, capture, kill, or defeat
2 : to find or employ measures to obtain or accomplish : seek pursue a goal
3 : to proceed along pursues a northern course
4a : to engage in pursue a hobby
b : to follow up or proceed with pursue an argument
5 : to continue to afflict : haunt was pursued by horrible memories
6 : chase entry 2 sense 1c pursued by dozens of fans

intransitive verb

: to go in pursuit
Other Words from pursue Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about pursue

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Other Words from pursue

pursuer noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for pursue

Synonyms

bird-dog, chase, course, dog, follow, hound, run, shadow, tag, tail, trace, track, trail

Antonyms

guide, lead, pilot

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Choose the Right Synonym for pursue

chase, pursue, follow, trail mean to go after or on the track of something or someone. chase implies going swiftly after and trying to overtake something fleeing or running. a dog chasing a cat pursue suggests a continuing effort to overtake, reach, or attain. pursued the criminal through narrow streets follow puts less emphasis upon speed or intent to overtake. friends followed me home in their car trail may stress a following of tracks or traces rather than a visible object. trail deer trailed a suspect across the country

Examples of pursue in a Sentence

It is this peace among the Great Powers—at least for the near term—that makes it truly possible both to pursue my vision of the post-Cold War world and, at the same time, to hedge against failure by maintaining the capacity to protect ourselves and our interests … — Robert S. McNamara, In Retrospect, 1995 The monster truck pursued him at insane speeds, through phone booths and gas pumps and even over cliffs, but he never knew why. — Hunter S. Thompson, Rolling Stone, 14-28 July 1994 In a world of nation-states the assumption that governments will pursue their own interests gives order and predictability to international affairs. — Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., American Heritage, 3 May/June 1994 Hounds pursued the fox for miles. The criminal is being pursued by police. He chose to pursue a college degree. She wants to pursue a legal career.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Will is pursued by a besotted friend who plays provocatively with binary conceptions of gender. — The Economist, "Love in the time of the Black Death," 31 Aug. 2019 But they're pursued by dragon hunters in their search. — Sonja Haller, USA TODAY, "New Netflix for kids in September: 'Lord of the Rings' movies, 'Turbo,' new 'Dragons'," 30 Aug. 2019 The 28-year-old had been pursued by West Bromwich Albion during the summer transfer window after having a successful loan spell with the Baggies last season, scoring 24 goals. — SI.com, "Steve Bruce Expresses Concern Over Dwight Gayle Injury & Gives Andy Carroll & Matt Richie Update," 30 Aug. 2019 The AfD has been able to capitalize on those concerns, as establishment parties in the east have struggled to challenge policies pursued by their national party colleagues. — Washington Post, "Germany’s far right is set to challenge Angela Merkel’s grip in upcoming elections," 30 Aug. 2019 Stroud won the Elite 11 quarterback competition over the summer and is being pursued by Oregon, among others. — Eric Sondheimercolumnist, Los Angeles Times, "Column: Calabasas tops Rancho Cucamonga in battle of senior quarterbacks," 29 Aug. 2019 He is being pursued by several of the top agents in the industry. — Aaron Wilson, Houston Chronicle, "Texans have discussed potential Jadeveon Clowney trade with several teams," 28 Aug. 2019 He was originally pursued by police in January after allegedly refusing to give a park ranger his identification and driving away in his motor home. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "‘Deadliest Catch’ Star Jake Harris Was Sentenced to Prison for 18 Months," 27 Aug. 2019 Petervary, a three-time winner of the 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational, was in third place Saturday but was being pursued by Hayden, who bounced back to surge into fourth place, according to the race blog. — Beth Bragg, Anchorage Daily News, "Anchorage cyclist breaks 8-day barrier in 1,053-mile race in Kyrgyzstan," 25 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pursue.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of pursue

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

History and Etymology for pursue

Middle English, from Anglo-French pursure, pursiure, from Latin prosequi, from pro- forward + sequi to follow — more at pro-, sue

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More Definitions for pursue

pursue

verb
How to pronounce pursue (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of pursue

: to follow and try to catch or capture (someone or something) for usually a long distance or time
: to try to get or do (something) over a period of time
: to be involved in (an activity)

See the full definition for pursue in the English Language Learners Dictionary

pursue

verb
pur·​sue | \ pÉ™r-ˈsü How to pronounce pursue (audio) \
pursued; pursuing

Kids Definition of pursue

1 : to follow after in order to catch or destroy : chase A dog pursued the fleeing cat.
2 : to follow up or proceed with He won't answer, so why

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