pursue

/pərˈsu/

/pəˈsu/

Other forms: pursued; pursuing; pursues

Use the verb pursue when you're chasing after someone or something. A hungry lion might pursue a zebra, the paparazzi might pursue a celebrity, and a young dancer might pursue her dream of becoming a prima ballerina.

Pursue originally meant "to follow with hostile intent," from a Latin root word, prosequi, "follow, accompany, follow after, or follow up." Today, when you pursue someone, it's not necessarily with bad intentions. A police officer, for example, might pursue a criminal, and your dog might pursue your cat around the house just for fun. If you pursue a career in journalism, you are working to achieve it. Likewise, you pursue a strategy or a hobby if you do it consistently.

Definitions of pursue

1. verb

   follow in or as if in pursuit
   “The police car pursued the suspected attacker”

   synonyms: follow

   follow, surveil, survey

   keep under surveillance

   types:

   stalk

   go through (an area) in search of prey

   chase, chase after, dog, give chase, go after, tag, tail, track, trail

   go after with the intent to catch

   haunt, stalk

   follow stealthily or recur constantly and spontaneously to

   tree

   chase an animal up a tree

   quest

   search the trail of (game)

   hound, hunt, trace

   pursue or chase relentlessly

   run down

   pursue until captured

   type of:

   go, locomote, move, travel

   change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
2. verb

   go in search of or hunt for
   “pursue a hobby”

   synonyms: go after, quest after, quest for

   type of:

   look for, search, seek

   try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
3. verb

   carry further or advance
   synonyms: act on, follow up on

   types:

   check out, run down

   trace

   type of:

   oppose, react

   act against or in opposition to
4. verb

   carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in
   “She pursued many activities”

   synonyms: engage, prosecute

   types:

   commit, practice

   engage in or perform

   close

   engage at close quarters

   politick

   engage in political activities

   logroll

   work toward the passage of some legislation by exchanging political favors such as trading votes

   type of:

   act, move

   perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)