Dictionary

pursue en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /pɚˈsu/ (General-American)
• /pə(ɾ)ˈsju/ (South-Asia)
• /pəˈʃuː/ (UK)
• (US) audio
• /ˈpɜ(ɾ).sju/ (South-Asia)
• /pəˈsjuː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (UK) audio
• /pəˈʃu/ (Australia)
• /pɜˈʃuː/ (Nigeria)

Etymology

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

Meanings

1. (ambitransitive) To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase.
   • pursue one's dreams
   • The wicked flee when no man purſueth: but the righteous are bolde as a lyon. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 28:1:
   • He now feared for his life, and believed US intelligence agents would pursue him. 15 September 2009, Martin Chulov, “Iraqi shoe-thrower claims he suffered torture in jail”, in The Guardian:
2. (transitive) To follow, travel down (a particular way, course of action etc.).
   • Her rival pursued a quite different course.
3. (transitive) To aim for, go after (a specified objective, situation etc.).
   • He even stands to gain in world terms: his noisy critics strengthen his projected image of a man determined to pursue peace with Palestinians. 1 December 2009, Benjamin Pogrund, “Freeze won't hurt Netanyahu”, in The Guardian:
4. (transitive) To participate in (an activity, business etc.); to practise, follow (a profession).
   • 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. 2001, David L. Lieber, Jules Harlow, Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, page 141:
5. (transitive) To urge (someone or something) to act in a particular way.
   • The mayor promised to pursue the city to be an Olympic sports venue.
6. (intransitive) To act as a legal prosecutor.
7. (archaic, transitive) To continue; to carry on.
   • 'Allow me, great king,' pursued the Demon, in a dry tone of voice, 'to wish you joy […] 1870, Richard Francis Burton, “Conclusion”, in Vikram and the Vampire; or, Tales of Hindu Devilry, London: Longmans, Green, and Co, page 307:

Forms

Deriveds

repursue · pursuance · pursuer · pursuable · mispursue · pursuingly · overpursue · pursuee · unpursued · unpursuing

Relateds

pursuit · pursuant · pursual · follow · chase

Translations (120)

hy մասնակցել (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · la insector (to follow urgently) · la venor (to follow urgently) · pt perseguir (to aim for) · it inseguire (to aim for) · fi harjoittaa (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · bg пресле́двам (to follow urgently) · pt perseguir (to follow urgently) · br poursu (to follow urgently) · es procurar (to aim for) · de nachjagen (to aim for) · eo persekuti (to follow urgently) · es proseguir (to travel down a particular way or course of action) · uk займа́тися (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · es seguir (to travel down a particular way or course of action) · ar لَاحَقَ (to follow urgently) · got 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to follow urgently) · ota تعقیب ایتمك (to follow urgently) · ru занима́ться (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · nl achtervolgen (to follow urgently) · tr başlamak (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · hy նպատակ հետապնդել (to aim for) · es perseguir (to follow urgently) · la consector (to follow urgently) · mi koromaki (to aim for) · ang æfterfolgian (to follow urgently) · ota قوغمق (to follow urgently) · de verfolgen (to follow urgently) · uga 𐎐𐎂𐎌 (to follow urgently) · es buscar (to aim for) · de weiterverfolgen (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · fr rechercher (to aim for) · ba ҡыуыу (to follow urgently) · fr poursuivre (to follow urgently) · ar اِتَّبَعَ (to travel down a particular way or course of action) · uk переслі́дувати (to follow urgently) · fi ajaa takaa (to follow urgently) · es apuntar a (to aim for) · wa kitchessî (to follow urgently) · de (Beschwerde) einreichen (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · id mengikuti (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · bg занимавам се (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · es luchar por (to aim for) · de (Beruf) ausüben (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · it perseguitare (to aim for) · wa pratiker (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · nl beoefenen (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · grc διώκω (to follow urgently) · es perseguir (to aim for) · chr ᎠᎨᎯ (to follow urgently) · km បន្ត (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · fi seurata (to follow urgently) · ko 뒤쫓다 (to follow urgently) · ru сле́довать (to travel down a particular way or course of action) · be перасле́дваць (to follow urgently) · bg следвам (to travel down a particular way or course of action) · he רדף (to follow urgently) · km មានគោលបំណង (to aim for) · fa دنبال کردن (to travel down a particular way or course of action) · tr kovalamak (to follow urgently) · fi seurata (to travel down a particular way or course of action) · ja 追跡する (to follow urgently) · id mengejar (to aim for) · es pretender (to aim for) · hu folytat (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · es cursar (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · it tormentare (to aim for) · acw لِحِق (to follow urgently) · de nachgehen (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · de folgen (to travel down a particular way or course of action) · de beschreiten (to travel down a particular way or course of action) · pt procurar (to aim for) · ru пресле́довать (to follow urgently) · fa دنبال کردن (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · nl najagen (to aim for) · ca perseguir (to follow urgently) · nl volgen (to travel down a particular way or course of action) · fi ahdistaa (to follow urgently) · sh гонити (to follow urgently) · km តាមដេញ (to follow urgently) · sv förfölja (to follow urgently) · la apīscor (to aim for) · tr hedeflemek (to aim for) · zdj uɗunga (to aim for) · hu űz (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · lad perseguir (to follow urgently) · az güdmək (to aim for) · ro urmări (to follow urgently) · fi pyrkiä (to aim for) · hy հետապնդել (to follow urgently) · hu gyakorol (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · sh goniti (to follow urgently) · it attendere (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · fa دنبال کردن (to follow urgently) · it cercare (to aim for) · lad asegir (to follow urgently) · la sector (to follow urgently) · cs pronásledovat (to follow urgently) · wa portchessî (to follow urgently) · ko 추구하다 (to aim for) · de sich befassen mit (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · ru пресле́довать (to travel down a particular way or course of action) · hu hajszol (to follow urgently) · da forfølge (to follow urgently) · ru гна́ться (to follow urgently) · id mengejar (to follow urgently) · fa به دنبال چیزی بودن (to aim for) · acw لاحق (to follow urgently) · la prōsequor (to follow urgently) · it perseguire (to follow urgently) · la persequor (to follow urgently) · pl ścigać (to follow urgently) · wa porshuve (to follow urgently) · sk prenasledovať (to follow urgently) · it praticare (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · sv följa (to travel down a particular way or course of action) · de betreiben (Forschung) (to participate in, practise (an activity, profession)) · cmn 追求 (to follow urgently) · hu üldöz (to follow urgently) · hu űz (to follow urgently)