unpursued en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈʌn.pəɹˌsjuːd/
Etymology
From un- + pursued.
Meanings
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(not-comparable) Not pursued, not followed, not hounded.
All night the dreadless Angel, unpursu’d, Through Heav’ns wide Champain held his way; till Morn, Wak’t by the circling Hours, with rosie hand Unbarr’d the gates of Light.
1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 1-4:1740, Samuel Johnson, “Debate on incorporating the new-raised men into the standing regiments” in The Works of Samuel Johnson, London: John Stockdale, 1787, Vol. 12, Debates in Parliament, p. 62, At Guastalla, Sir, they attacked the French in their trenches, even with forces inferiour in number, so far were they from any diffidence in the form of their establishment; and after a fight of seven hours, in which their loss was, under all their disadvantages, not greater than that of their enemies, they retreated to their former camp unmolested and unpursued.
With doubtful patriotism he left the Danes for a while unpursued, attacked Meath, overran and wasted Connaught, and returning suddenly burnt the royal stronghold of Tara.
1888, Emily Lawless, chapter 8, in The Story Of Ireland, New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, page 63:
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(not-comparable) Not pursued, not sought, not engaged in.
Our pleasures unpursued age past recall.
1917, Rudyard Kipling, “The Fabulists”, in A Diversity of Creatures, London: Macmillan, page 380:[…] And thus the soul, By that sweet taste of pleasure unpursu’d Doth find itself insensibly dispos’d To virtue and true goodness.
1800, William Wordsworth, “The Old Cumberland Beggar”, in Lyrical Ballads, 2nd edition, volume 2, London: Longman & Rees, pages 156–157: