pursue

verb

pur·​sue pər-ˈsü How to pronounce pursue (audio)
-ˈsyü
pursued; pursuing

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
4
a
: 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
pursuer noun
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.
Recent Examples on the Web Hausmann-Stokes served for five years in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper in Iraq before pursuing filmmaking full-time; his experience textures the lives of these fictional veterans. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024 With a correction having restored prices to much more reasonable (if still above retail) levels, buyers have felt more inclined to pursue watches that better reflect their authentic interests. Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024 In most Western pop culture, samurai seem to find a similar kind of pleasure and liberation in following a strict code and pursuing excellence. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024 Despite also pursuing solo projects and gigs, the duo continued performing together until Gormé died in 2013. Shania Russell, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2024 The couple sold out Carnegie Hall for a series of concerts in the 1980s and toured with Frank Sinatra in the 1990s. Aug. 10, 2013 Beyond Steve & Eydie, Lawrence also pursued an impressive solo career that included his music, Broadway and TV appearances. Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 And yet even with all the beauty of exploring Ireland's patchwork green countryside and pursuing the end of every rainbow, incredibly, Scahill managed to get more than a dozen performers to join our musical motley crew on tour. Lori Nickel, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024 After all, if the managers of these operations take their focus off properly balancing risk and return–pursuing ideological investment goals instead–taxpayers could be on the hook for hundreds of billions in additional liabilities. Carlos Curbelo, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 In the evolving landscape of finance and taxation, making an informed decision between pursuing a career as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or a tax preparer is crucial for aspiring professionals. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pursue.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of pursue was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pursue

Cite this Entry

“Pursue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pursue. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pursue

verb
pur·​sue pər-ˈsü How to pronounce pursue (audio)
pursued; pursuing
1
: to follow in order to catch up with and seize
2
: to try to obtain or accomplish : seek
pursue pleasure
3
: to proceed along
pursue a northerly course
4
: to engage in : practice
pursue a hobby
5
: to continue to distress severely : haunt
pursued by fear
pursuer noun
Etymology

Middle English pursuen "to follow in order to capture or kill," derived from early French pursure, pursiure (same meaning), derived from Latin prosequi "to follow after, pursue," from pro- "forward" and sequi "to follow" — related to sequel

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