Adjacent Words

Pursue definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PURSUE, v.t. [L. sequor; prosequor, or persequor. See Seek.]
1. To follow; to go or proceed after or in a like direction. The captain pursued the same course as former navigators have taken. A subsequent legislature pursued the course of their predecessors.
2. To take and proceed in, without following another. Captain Cook pursued a new and unexplored course. New circumstances often compel us to pursue new expedients and untried course. What course shall we pursue?
3. To follow with a view to overtake; to follow with haste; to chase; as, to pursue a hare; to pursue an enemy.
4. To seek; to use measures to obtain; as, to pursue a remedy at law.
5. To prosecute; to continue. A stream proceeds from a lake and pursues a southerly course to the ocean.
He that pursueth evil, pursueth it to his own death. Proverbs 11.
6. To follow as an example; to imitate.
The fame of ancient matrons you pursue.
7. To endeavor to attain to; to strive to reach or gain.
We happiness pursue; we fly from pain.
8. To follow with enmity; to persecute.
This verb is frequently followed by after. Genesis 35.
PURSUE, v.i. To go on; to proceed; to continue; a Gallicism.
I have, pursues Carneades, wondered chimists should not consider--

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in; "She pursued many activities"; "They engaged in a discussion" [syn: prosecute, engage, pursue]
2: follow in or as if in pursuit; "The police car pursued the suspected attacker"; "Her bad deed followed her and haunted her dreams all her life" [syn: pursue, follow]
3: go in search of or hunt for; "pursue a hobby" [syn: quest for, go after, quest after, pursue]
4: carry further or advance; "Can you act on this matter soon?" [syn: pursue, follow up on, act on]

Merriam Webster's

verb (pursued; pursuing) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French pursure, pursiure, from Latin prosequi, from pro- forward + sequi to follow — more at pro-, sue Date: 14th century 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 II,1c <pursued by dozens of fans> intransitive verb to go in pursuit Synonyms: see chase • pursuer noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. (pursues, pursued, pursuing) 1 tr. follow with intent to overtake or capture or do harm to. 2 tr. continue or proceed along (a route or course of action). 3 tr. follow or engage in (study or other activity). 4 tr. proceed in compliance with (a plan etc.). 5 tr. seek after, aim at. 6 tr. continue to investigate or discuss (a topic). 7 tr. seek the attention or acquaintance of (a person) persistently. 8 tr. (of misfortune etc.) persistently assail. 9 tr. persistently attend, stick to. 10 intr. go in pursuit. Derivatives: pursuable adj. pursuer n. Etymology: ME f. AF pursiwer, -suer = OF porsivre etc. ult. f. L prosequi follow after

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pursue Pur*sue", v. i. 1. To go in pursuit; to follow. The wicked flee when no man pursueth. --Prov. xxviii. 1. Men hotly pursued after the objects of their ambition. --Earle. 2. To go on; to proceed, especially in argument or discourse; to continue. Note: [A Gallicism] I have, pursues Carneades, wondered chemists should not consider. --Boyle. 3. (Law) To follow a matter judicially, as a complaining party; to act as a prosecutor. --Burrill.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pursue Pur*sue", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pursued; p. pr. & vb. n. Pursuing.] [OE. pursuen, porsuen, OF. porsivre, poursuivre, poursuir, F. poursuivre, fr. L. prosequi; pro forward + sequi to follow. See Sue, and cf. Prosecute, Pursuivant.] 1. To follow with a view to overtake; to follow eagerly, or with haste; to chase; as, to pursue a hare. We happiness pursue; we fly from pain. --Prior. The happiness of men lies in purswing, Not in possessing. --Longfellow. 2. To seek; to use or adopt measures to obtain; as, to pursue a remedy at law. The fame of ancient matrons you pursue. --Dryden. 3. To proceed along, with a view to some and or object; to follow; to go in; as, Captain Cook pursued a new route; the administration pursued a wise course. 4. To prosecute; to be engaged in; to continue. `` Insatiate to pursue vain war.'' --Milton. 5. To follow as an example; to imitate. 6. To follow with enmity; to persecute; to call to account. The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have pursued me, they shall pursue you also. --Wyclif (John xv. 20). Syn: To follow; chase; seek; persist. See Follow.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(pursues, pursuing, pursued) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If you pursue an activity, interest, or plan, you carry it out or follow it. (FORMAL) He said Japan would continue to pursue the policies laid down at the London summit... She had come to England to pursue an acting career. VERB: V n, V n 2. If you pursue a particular aim or result, you make efforts to achieve it, often over a long period of time. (FORMAL) Mr. Menendez has aggressively pursued new business. VERB: V n 3. If you pursue a particular topic, you try to find out more about it by asking questions. (FORMAL) If your original request is denied, don't be afraid to pursue the matter. = follow up ? drop VERB: V n 4. If you pursue a person, vehicle, or animal, you follow them, usually in order to catch them. (FORMAL) She pursued the man who had stolen a woman's bag. VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Follow, chase, hunt, track, dog, hound, go after, give chase to. 2. Continue, prosecute, conduct, keep up, carry on, persist in, engage in, follow up, maintain, stick to. 3. Seek, strive for, try to obtain. 4. Follow, proceed along, keep to, keep on. 5. Imitate, follow as an example. 6. Attend, accompany, follow close.

Moby Thesaurus

address, adhere to, angle for, ask for, aspire to, badger, bait, be into, be strong in, beat about for, beau, bedog, beset, carry on, chase, chase after, chevy, chivy, come after, come behind, conduct, confine, continue, court, cultivate, delve for, dig for, do, dog, employ, engage in, esquire, exercise, feature, fish for, follow, follow up, give chase, go after, go behind, go gunning for, go in for, gun for, harass, harry, heel, hollo after, hound, hunt, hunt for, hunt up, lay siege to, limit, look, look for, look up, maintain, major in, make after, make suit to, make up to, minor in, molest, move behind, narrow, oppress, pay attention to, pay court to, persecute, persevere, persist, persist in, practice, proceed with, prosecute, prowl after, purpose, quest, quest after, raise the hunt, restrict, ride, run after, run down, search, search for, see to, seek, seek for, seek out, serenade, shadow, spark, specialize, specialize in, squire, stalk, still-hunt, string along, strive for, sue, swain, sweetheart, tackle, tag, tag after, tag along, tail, tailgate, take on, take out after, take to, take up, torment, trace, track, trail, trail after, tread close upon, try for, try to find, undertake, use, victimize, wage, woo, work at, work for