hunt

1 of 2

verb

hunted; hunting; hunts

transitive verb

1
a
: to pursue for food or in sport
hunt buffalo
b
: to manage in the search for game
hunts a pack of dogs
2
a
: to pursue with intent to capture
hunted the escapees
b
: to search out : seek
3
: to drive or chase especially by harrying
members … were hunted from their homesJ. T. Adams
4
: to traverse in search of prey
hunts the woods

intransitive verb

1
: to take part in a hunt
2
: to attempt to find something
3
: to oscillate alternately to each side (as of a neutral point) or to run alternately faster and slower
used especially of a device or machine

hunt

2 of 2

noun

1
: the act, the practice, or an instance of hunting
2
: a group of mounted hunters and their hunting dogs

Examples of hunt in a Sentence

Verb The wolf was hunting its prey. These birds have been hunted almost to extinction. a gun used for hunting squirrels He likes to hunt and fish. She hunted around in the closet for a pair of shoes. Police hunted the escaped prisoners through several states. Noun They went on a hunt. We finally found a good restaurant after a long hunt.
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.
Verb
The longtime ritual calls for members of the royal family to smear blood on their faces from their first kill during fox or stag hunting. Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2025 But on the 24th floor of a lower Manhattan U.S. District courthouse, a string of FBI agents filled in the nitty gritty—detailing the forensic penetration of iPhones, Google accounts, WhatsApp messages, and search histories of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operatives hunting Alinejad. Karl Vick, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025
Noun
Her love for the brand has sent her on a hunt for its characters, including travelling to Singapore for just 24 hours in hopes of finding a limited edition or waiting four hours in the rain in Taiwan just to come away with one collectible. Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 26 Mar. 2025 The update will also include a repeatable hunt for Wilds' final story monster, Zoh Shia, which was previously only fought once just before the credits rolled. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hunt

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English huntian; akin to Old English hentan to seize

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hunt. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

hunt

1 of 2 verb
1
a
: to seek out and chase (game) for food or sport
hunt squirrel
b
: to use in hunting game
hunts a pack of dogs
2
a
: to chase in order to capture
b
: to search out : look for : seek
hunting for my gloves
3
: to drive or chase especially by repeated attacks
hunt a criminal out of town
4
: to search through looking for prey
hunts the woods

hunt

2 of 2 noun
1
: the action, the practice, or an instance of hunting
2
: a group of hunters
especially : a group of hunters on horseback and their hunting dogs

Biographical Definition

Hunt 1 of 3

biographical name (1)

(James Henry) Leigh 1784–1859 English writer

Hunt

2 of 3

biographical name (2)

Sir R(ichard) Timothy 1943–     British molecular biologist

Hunt

3 of 3

biographical name (3)

(William) Hol*man ˈhōl-mən How to pronounce Hunt (audio) 1827–1910 English painter

More from Merriam-Webster on hunt

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