seek

verb

ˈsēk 

sought ˈsȯt  ; seeking

transitive verb

1

: to resort to : go to

2

a

: 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

2

a

: to be sought

b

: to be lacking

in critical judgment … they were sadly to seek

—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

seeker noun

Synonyms

• cast about (for)
• cast around (for)
• chase (down)
• forage (for)
• hunt
• look up
• pursue
• quest
• search (for or out)
• shop (for)

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

The administration is also seeking relief from having to file daily updates on its progress. —Ben Finley, Baltimore Sun, 24 Apr. 2025

Ballard was also hired by TikTok last September as that company sought to maintain its U.S. footprint amid calls to ban the service. —Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2025

Therefore, to ensure minimal disruption to your daily operations, establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor your system’s performance and actively seek feedback from users to identify areas for improvement. —Archer Chiang, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025

Two weeks ago a few leading manufacturers made an appeal to President Donald Trump seeking exemption for the bridal industry but there has been no response yet. —Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English seken, from Old English sēcan; akin to Old High German suohhen to seek, Latin sagus prophetic, Greek hēgeisthai to lead

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing seek

• hide-and-go-seek
• hide-and-seek
• seek compensation
• seek damages
• seek one's fortune
• seek out
• seek revenge for
• take/find/seek refuge

Rhymes for seek

• beak
• beek
• bleak
• cheek
• chic
• clique
• creak
• creek
• eke
• freak
• geek
• greek

Kids Definition

seek

verb

ˈsēk 

sought ˈsȯt  ; seeking

1

: to go to

seek the shade on a sunny day

2

a

: to go in search of : look for

seek out the guilty person

b

: to try to discover

seek the truth

3

: to ask for : request

seeks advice

4

: to try to acquire or gain : aim at

seeking public office

5

: to make an attempt : try

seek to find a way

sought to improve my work

seeker noun