pursue

verb

pur·​sue pər-ˈsü How to pronounce pursue (audio)
-ˈsyü
pursued; pursuing

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 entry 2 sense 1c
pursued by dozens of fans
pursuer noun
Choose the Right Synonym for pursue

chase, pursue, follow, trail mean to go after or on the track of something or someone.

chase implies going swiftly after and trying to overtake something fleeing or running.

a dog chasing a cat

pursue suggests a continuing effort to overtake, reach, or attain.

pursued the criminal through narrow streets

follow puts less emphasis upon speed or intent to overtake.

friends followed me home in their car

trail may stress a following of tracks or traces rather than a visible object.

trail deer
trailed a suspect across the country

Examples of pursue in a Sentence

It is this peace among the Great Powers—at least for the near term—that makes it truly possible both to pursue my vision of the post-Cold War world and, at the same time, to hedge against failure by maintaining the capacity to protect ourselves and our interests … Robert S. McNamara, In Retrospect, 1995
The monster truck pursued him at insane speeds, through phone booths and gas pumps and even over cliffs, but he never knew why. Hunter S. Thompson, Rolling Stone, 14-28 July 1994
In a world of nation-states the assumption that governments will pursue their own interests gives order and predictability to international affairs. Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., American Heritage, 3 May/June 1994
Hounds pursued the fox for miles. The criminal is being pursued by police. He chose to pursue a college degree. She wants to pursue a legal career.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Data suggests that fewer men are working or pursuing college, while more of them are dying by suicide and drug overdoses. Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2025 This agility allows the black mamba — sometimes stretching up to 14 feet — to effectively escape threats and swiftly pursue prey. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025 These baseless federal cases were pursued 3,000 miles away from where OZY was based, and things went from bad to worse when a conflicted and unethical judge took control. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025 As the Register reported, the Colombian couple, Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez, entered the United States without authorization in 1989 and has pursued legal options to stay here over the past 36 years. The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pursue

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French pursure, pursiure, from Latin prosequi, from pro- forward + sequi to follow — more at pro-, sue

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of pursue was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pursue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pursue. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

pursue

verb
pur·​sue pər-ˈsü How to pronounce pursue (audio)
pursued; pursuing
1
: to follow in order to catch up with and seize
2
: to try to obtain or accomplish : seek
pursue pleasure
3
: to proceed along
pursue a northerly course
4
: to engage in : practice
pursue a hobby
5
: to continue to distress severely : haunt
pursued by fear
pursuer noun
Etymology

Middle English pursuen "to follow in order to capture or kill," derived from early French pursure, pursiure (same meaning), derived from Latin prosequi "to follow after, pursue," from pro- "forward" and sequi "to follow" — related to sequel

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