What does "pursue" mean?

To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase.

What is a synonym for "pursue"?

Common synonyms include: follow, prosecute, act on, address, adhere to, angle for.

//pəˈsjuː// verb

verb ·Common ·High school level

Verb

1
To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase. ambitransitive
"pursue one's dreams"
2
go in search of or hunt for wordnet
3
To follow, travel down (a particular way, course of action etc.). transitive
"Her rival pursued a quite different course."
4
follow in or as if in pursuit wordnet
5
To aim for, go after (a specified objective, situation etc.). transitive
"He even stands to gain in world terms: his noisy critics strengthen his projected image of a man determined to pursue peace with Palestinians."

Show 5 more definitions

6
carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in wordnet
7
To participate in (an activity, business etc.); to practise, follow (a profession). transitive
"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."
8
carry further or advance wordnet
9
To act as a legal prosecutor. intransitive
10
To continue; to carry on. archaic, transitive
"'Allow me, great king,' pursued the Demon, in a dry tone of voice, 'to wish you joy […]"

"Students often pursue their teacher with questions."

From Middle English pursuen, from Anglo-Norman pursure, poursuire etc., from Latin prōsequor (though influenced by persequor). Doublet of prosecute.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.