quest

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈkwest 

1

a

: a jury of inquest

b

: investigation

2

: an act or instance of seeking:

a

: pursuit, search

b

: a chivalrous enterprise in medieval romance usually involving an adventurous journey

3

obsolete : a person or group of persons who search or make inquiry

quest

2 of 3

verb

quested; questing; quests

intransitive verb

1

of a dog

a

: to search a trail

b

: bay

2

: to go on a quest

transitive verb

1

: to search for

2

: to ask for

quester noun

quester

3 of 3

noun (2)

quest·​er

ˈkwestə(r)

plural -s

: one that quests

a jester and a quester and a bard

—Louis MacNeice

competent questers who are hot on the trail

—E. G. Lowry

Synonyms of quest

Noun (1)

• search
• hunt

Verb

• demand
• request
• claim
• require

Examples of quest in a Sentence

Noun (1)

They went on a quest for gold.

The team's quest to win a championship finally came to an end.

He refuses to give up his quest to discover the truth.

Verb

They were questing for gold.

I respectfully quest your assistance in this matter.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The original quest was to study the collapse of California’s sardine industry, but scientists quickly realized that solving that mystery required studying not just one species, but all the interconnected components across the ecosystem. —Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026

Players can embark solo or in teams of four across Gielinor’s previously unexplored continent of Ashenfall, on a quest to discover why untamed, transformative magic spills across the fractured land. —Matt Minton, Variety, 11 June 2026

Verb

Thibs, as he is called, is a lovable grump and an enjoyable sideline presence who had a knack for wringing great, gritty performances out of his team of questing try-hards. —Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 2 June 2026

Comeback quests The intense practices of training camp and actual games remain a ways away, but these late-spring/early-summer days carry high importance for players aiming to return from season-ending injuries. —Mike Jones, New York Times, 11 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French queste, Vulgar Latin *quaesta, from Latin, feminine of quaestus, past participle of quaerere

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1b

Phrases Containing quest

• in quest of
• vision quest

Rhymes for quest

• blessed
• blest
• breast
• chest
• crest
• dressed
• fest
• gest
• geste
• guessed
• jest
• lest

Kids Definition

quest

1 of 2 noun

ˈkwest 

1

: an act or instance of seeking

2

a

: search entry 2

in quest of game

b

: an adventurous journey by a knight in a tale of olden days

quest

2 of 2 verb

1

: to go on a quest : seek

2

: to search for : pursue

3

: to ask for : demand