seek

verb

\ ˈsēk

sought\ ˈsȯt

\; seeking

Definition of seek

transitive verb

1 : to resort to : go to

2a : 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 contented— D. M. Potter

intransitive verb

1 : to make a search or inquiry

2a : to be sought

b : to be lacking in critical judgment … they were sadly to seek — The Times Literary Supplement (London)

Other Words from seek Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about seek

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Choose the Right Synonym for seek

seek, search, and hunt mean to look for something. seek may be used in looking for either material or mental things. She's always seeking new friends. I seek the truth. search is used when looking for something in a very careful, thorough way. We searched all over the house for the letter. hunt is used for a long pursuit. I hunted all day for the right present.

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

Best for: Riders seeking to venture farther, and get there faster The Domane+ e-road bike is the electric version of Trek’s popular model of the same name. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Road Bikes for Every Cyclist," 8 May 2019 There are also people or businesses seeking virtual assistants on sites like Indeed, Monster, and Upwork. — Jamie Ballard, Woman's Day, "How to Become a Virtual Assistant So You Can Work From Home," 7 May 2019 Michele found inspiration for the collection in the screen sirens of the bygone Hollywood era (Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, Bette Davis, and Greta Garbo among them), but sought to reimagine their striking beauty for a modern age. — Vogue, "Gucci’s Debut Beauty Collection—and Its Main Face, Punk Singer Dani Miller—Encourages the Celebration of Imperfections," 5 May 2019 In addition to seeking professional advice, these steps may also help: Get more sleep. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "7 Signs You're Dealing With Anxiety," 3 Apr. 2019 Where social media websites spent years urging us to connect more and more, many of us started seeking refuge smaller communities within newsletters, finstagrams, and private Twitter accounts. — Verge Staff, The Verge, "The best memes of 2018, according to The Verge staff," 27 Dec. 2018 Some of those graves were plundered centuries ago, largely by enemy tribes seeking to stake a claim on the territory by desecrating the Scythians’ burial sites. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Satellites watch over the graves of ancient steppe nomads," 26 Dec. 2018 The hearing was related to a lawsuit Allen filed in February seeking at least $68 million in damages. — Larry Neumeister, The Seattle Times, "Amazon: Woody Allen’s #MeToo comments wrecked movie deal," 15 Apr. 2019 What Are The Women Battling The Monterey 5 are now dealing with a bigger threat: Mary Louise Wright, who is seeking the truth on what happened to her son. — Sophia Caraballo, Woman's Day, "Everything We Know About 'Big Little Lies' Season 2," 15 Apr. 2019

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