seek

verb

sought ˈsȯt How to pronounce seek (audio) ; seeking

transitive verb

1
: to resort to : go to
2
a
: to go in search of : look for
b
: to try to discover
3
: to ask for : request
seeks advice
4
: to try to acquire or gain : aim at
seek fame
5
: to make an attempt : try
used with to and an infinitive
governments … seek to keep the bulk of their people contentedD. M. Potter

intransitive verb

1
: to make a search or inquiry
2
a
: to be sought
b
: to be lacking
in critical judgment … they were sadly to seekThe Times Literary Supplement (London)
seeker noun

Examples of seek in a Sentence

The office is seeking a salesperson. The prince is seeking a wife. Snakes seek the sun to warm their bodies. You should visit your doctor and seek his advice. You should seek medical help immediately if you experience any chest pain or shortness of breath. The church is seeking donations. He sought revenge for his son's murder. During the war, she sought asylum in Spain. They sought refuge in Canada. The company is seeking new ways to improve service.
Recent Examples on the Web The model and actress stars alongside Genevieve Gaunt and Georgia Lock in the film, which delves into the story of a young woman seeking to uncover the truth of her friend’s suicide. Amy Woodyatt, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 Concerns over Chinese manufacturing dominance flared last week, as the United Steelworkers union petitioned the office of U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai seeking an investigation of China’s shipbuilding industry. David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 From the 1890s to the 1910s, socialist populist movements flourished that sought to protect farmers and factory workers from industrialists, bankers, and the corrupt elite. TIME, 18 Mar. 2024 The forum is aimed at producers, directors and screenwriters, and seeks to foster audiovisual production, promote emerging talent and present local audiovisual projects and companies to the international marketplace. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 18 Mar. 2024 Reruns of Real Time on CNN also serve as another example of Warner Bros. Discovery seeking ways to more efficiently monetize and window its content between its TV channels and Max. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2024 Akila is an excellent student and a talented performer who is always seeking improvement. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 Reddit is seeking a valuation of up to $6.4 billion in an Initial Public Offering, according to regulatory filings. James Powel, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024 Aside from government and media, de Matteo is highly suspicious of corporations and big money — which plays a part in her reluctance to seek a Hollywood comeback even if her vaccination status were no longer an obstacle. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'seek.' 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 seken, from Old English sēcan; akin to Old High German suohhen to seek, Latin sagus prophetic, Greek hēgeisthai to lead

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of seek was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near seek

Cite this Entry

“Seek.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seek. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

seek

verb
sought ˈsȯt How to pronounce seek (audio) ; seeking
1
: to go to
seek the shade on a sunny day
2
a
: to go in search of : look for
seek out the guilty person
b
: to try to discover
seek the truth
3
: to ask for : request
seeks advice
4
: to try to acquire or gain : aim at
seeking public office
5
: to make an attempt : try
seek to find a way
sought to improve my work
seeker noun

More from Merriam-Webster on seek

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