pursue

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
8
Words With Friends
11
Letters
6
Pronunciation
/pəˈsjuː/
See all 7 pronunciations
/pəˈsjuː/ · /pəˈʃuː/(UK) · /pɚˈsu/ · /pəˈʃu/ · /pɜˈʃuː/ · /ˈpɜ(ɾ).sju/ · /pə(ɾ)ˈsju/

Definition of pursue

6 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

verb

  1. (ambitransitive)To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase.
    “pursue one's dreams”
    “The wicked flee when no man purſueth: but the righteous are bolde as a lyon.”
    “He now feared for his life, and believed US intelligence agents would pursue him.”
See all 6 definitions

verb

  1. (ambitransitive)To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase.
    “pursue one's dreams”
    “The wicked flee when no man purſueth: but the righteous are bolde as a lyon.”
    “He now feared for his life, and believed US intelligence agents would pursue him.”
  2. (transitive)To follow, travel down (a particular way, course of action etc.).
    “Her rival pursued a quite different course.”
  3. (transitive)To aim for, go after (a specified objective, situation etc.).
    “He even stands to gain in world terms: his noisy critics strengthen his projected image of a man determined to pursue peace with Palestinians.”
  4. (transitive)To participate in (an activity, business etc.); to practise, follow (a profession).
    “The Kedarites are depicted as herders of sheep and goats who pursued a seminomadic existence and lived scattered over a wide area of the desert region east of the land of Israel.”
  5. (intransitive)To act as a legal prosecutor.
  6. (archaic, transitive)To continue; to carry on.
    “'Allow me, great king,' pursued the Demon, in a dry tone of voice, 'to wish you joy […]”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From Middle English pursuen, from Anglo-Norman pursure, poursuire etc., from Latin prōsequor (though influenced by persequor). Doublet of prosecute.

Hooks

3 extensions · 3 back

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