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pursue. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
pursue, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
pursue in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
pursue you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
From Middle English pursuen, from Anglo-Norman pursure, poursuire etc., from Latin prōsequor (though influenced by persequor). Doublet of prosecute.
Pronunciation
Verb
pursue (third-person singular simple present pursues, present participle pursuing, simple past and past participle pursued)
- (transitive, intransitive) To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase.
pursue one's dreams
15 September 2009, Martin Chulov, “Iraqi shoe-thrower claims he suffered torture in jail”, in The Guardian:He now feared for his life, and believed US intelligence agents would pursue him.
- (transitive) To follow, travel down (a particular way, course of action etc.).
Her rival pursued a quite different course.
- (transitive) To aim for, go after (a specified objective, situation etc.).
1 December 2009, Benjamin Pogrund, “Freeze won't hurt Netanyahu”, in The Guardian:He even stands to gain in world terms: his noisy critics strengthen his projected image of a man determined to pursue peace with Palestinians.
- (transitive) To participate in (an activity, business etc.); to practise, follow (a profession).
2001, David L. Lieber, Jules Harlow, Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, page 141: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.
- (intransitive) To act as a legal prosecutor.
- (transitive, somewhat archaic) To continue; to carry on.
1870, Richard Francis Burton, “Conclusion”, in Vikram and the Vampire; or, Tales of Hindu Devilry, London: Longmans, Green, and Co, page 307:'Allow me, great king,' pursued the Demon, in a dry tone of voice, 'to wish you joy […]
Derived terms
Translations
to follow urgently
- Arabic: لَاحَقَ (lāḥaqa)
- Hijazi Arabic: لاحق (lāḥag), لِحِق (liḥig)
- Aragonese: please add this translation if you can
- Armenian: հետապնդել (hy) (hetapndel)
- Belarusian: перасле́дваць impf (pjerasljédvacʹ)
- Breton: poursu
- Bulgarian: пресле́двам (bg) impf (preslédvam)
- Catalan: perseguir (ca)
- Cherokee: ᎠᎨᎯ (agehi)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 追求 (zh) (zhuīqiú)
- Czech: pronásledovat impf
- Danish: forfølge
- Dhivehi: please add this translation if you can
- Dutch: achtervolgen (nl)
- Finnish: ajaa takaa, seurata (fi), ahdistaa (fi)
- French: poursuivre (fr)
- German: verfolgen (de)
- Gothic: 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (laistjan)
- Greek:
- Ancient: διώκω (diṓkō)
- Hebrew: רדף (he) (radaf)
- Hungarian: üldöz (hu), űz (hu), hajszol (hu)
- Indonesian: mengejar (id)
- Italian: perseguire (it)
- Japanese: 追跡する (ja) (ついせきする, tsuiseki suru)
- Khmer: តាមដេញ (taamdəñ)
- Korean: 뒤쫓다 (dwijjotda)
- Ladino: perseguir, asegir
- Latin: consector, insector, sector (la); persequor (la), prōsequor; venor
- Old English: æfterfolgian
- Persian: دنبال کردن (fa) (donbâl kardan)
- Polish: ścigać (pl)
- Portuguese: perseguir (pt)
- Romanian: urmări (ro)
- Russian: пресле́довать (ru) impf (preslédovatʹ), гна́ться (ru) impf (gnátʹsja)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: гонити
- Roman: goniti (sh)
- Slovak: prenasledovať impf
- Spanish: perseguir (es)
- Swedish: förfölja (sv)
- Turkish: kovalamak (tr)
- Ugaritic: 𐎐𐎂𐎌 (ngš)
- Ukrainian: переслі́дувати impf (pereslíduvaty)
- Walloon: kitchessî (wa), portchessî (wa), porshuve (wa)
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to travel down a particular way or course of action
to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)
See also
Anagrams