What does "quest" mean?
A journey or effort in pursuit of a goal (often lengthy, ambitious, or fervent); a mission.
Quest
/kwɛst/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A journey or effort in pursuit of a goal (often lengthy, ambitious, or fervent); a mission.
- Grammar: quest is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: pursuit, adventure, angle for, ask for.
- Usage evidence: They explored the desert in quest of buried treasure.
How to use "quest"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "quest" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "quest" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "quest" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "quest" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "quest" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "pursuit" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "quest", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A journey or effort in pursuit of a goal (often lengthy, ambitious, or fervent); a mission.
"the hero's quest"
- 2 A short test.
"I had a calculus quest (not a quiz or a test, but somewhere in between...) it was on limits, and l'hopital's rule..."
- 3 Acronym of quantized electronic structure. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 4 the act of searching for something wordnet
- 5 A journey or effort in pursuit of a goal (often lengthy, ambitious, or fervent); a mission.; A task that a player may complete in order to gain a reward or advance the story.
"At the same time, players are not forced to complete quests in a certain order; they're allowed enough free will within the game to determine their goals and needs."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 a search for an alternative that meets cognitive criteria wordnet
- 7 The act of seeking, or looking after anything; attempt to find or obtain; search; pursuit.
"to rove in quest of game, of a lost child, of property, etc."
- 8 A request; a desire; a solicitation. obsolete
"Gad not abroad at every quest and call / Of an untrained hope or passion."
- 9 A group of people conducting a search or inquiry. obsolete
"The senate hath sent about three several quests to search you out."
- 10 An inquest; a jury of inquest. obsolete
"To 'cide this title is impanneled A quest of thoughts, all tenants to the heart, And by their verdict is determined The clear eye's moiety and the dear heart's part […]"
Verb
- 1 To seek or pursue a goal; to undertake a mission or job. intransitive
- 2 express the need or desire for wordnet
- 3 To search for something; to seek. transitive
"Next day we quested in search of our caravan, and after some pains recovered it."
- 4 seek alms, as for religious purposes wordnet
- 5 To locate and attach to a host animal.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 bark with prolonged noises, of dogs wordnet
- 7 search the trail of (game) wordnet
- 8 make a search (for) wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from German.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"They explored the desert in quest of buried treasure."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "quest"?
Common synonyms include: pursuit, adventure, angle for, ask for, ask for, bay.
How do you use "quest" in a sentence?
They explored the desert in quest of buried treasure.
How do you pronounce "quest"?
Pronounced /kwɛst/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English quest, queste; partly from Anglo-Norman queste, Old French queste (“acquisition, search, hunt”), and partly from their source, Latin quaesta (“tribute, tax, inquiry, search”), noun use of quaesita, the feminine past participle of quaerere (“to ask, seek”).
Etymology 2
Blend of quiz + test, to avoid using the word test.
Etymology 3
Borrowed from German Quest.