hunt

hunt — verb

1. to go after wild animals or birds in order to catch and kill them for food, for

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to go after wild animals or birds in order to catch and kill them for food, for payment, or as a sport

Example

Elena's grandfather taught her how to hunt deer in the forest near their village.

hunt + [animal] + in [place]

Lions hunt together in groups to catch large animals like zebras.

Common collocations
  • hunt deer
  • hunt rabbits
  • hunt the forest
  • hunt for food
  • go hunting
Synonyms
  • chase

    focuses on the pursuit itself, not the killing

  • stalk

    means to follow slowly and quietly, trying not to be seen

Grammar Patterns

hunt + [animal] + in [place]

hunt + for + [animal]

go hunting

Usage Note

Often takes a location as the direct object (hunt the forest) or a prey animal with 'for' (hunt for deer).

Common Mistakes

We hunted the rabbit in the backyard but it was a pet.
We hunted for rabbits in the woods behind the farm.
'hunt' implies wild animals, not pets.

2. in Britain, to take part in the traditional pastime of chasing and killing foxes

2.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

in Britain, to take part in the traditional pastime of chasing and killing foxes while riding a horse and using a pack of dogs

Example

The local landowners have hunted foxes across these fields for over a century.

traditional British pastime with horses and hounds

Many people now strongly oppose the practice of hunting foxes for sport.

Common collocations
  • hunt foxes
  • hunt with hounds
  • go fox hunting

Grammar Patterns

hunt + with [dogs]

go hunting (on horseback)

Usage Note

This sense is specific to British culture and has become politically controversial. It is rarely used outside the UK context.

3. to look for someone or something in a determined way, often by checking many dif

3.verbintransitiveA2
Definition

to look for someone or something in a determined way, often by checking many different places or options

Example

Imani has been hunting for her car keys all morning and still cannot find them.

hunt + for + [lost object]

Kenji hunted through every drawer in the kitchen looking for a bottle opener.

hunt + through + [place]

Common collocations
  • hunt for a job
  • hunt for bargains
  • hunt for clues
  • hunt through records
Synonyms
  • search

    more neutral and general; does not imply determined effort

  • seek

    more formal, often used in writing

  • look around

    less intense, more casual than 'hunt'

Grammar Patterns

hunt + for + [object]

hunt + through + [place]

hunt + [place] + for + [object]

Usage Note

The object of the search is introduced by 'for'. When searching a place, the place follows 'through' (hunt through the drawers) or directly (hunt the house).

Common Mistakes

I hunted my phone but could not find it.
I hunted for my phone but could not find it.
'hunt' in this sense requires 'for' before the target.
Phrasal verbs

hunt down

phrasal verb

To search for someone or something until you find them, especially when they are trying to hide.

The police hunted down the escaped prisoner in the forest.

She hunted down the last copy of the book at a used bookstore.

hunt out

phrasal verb

To search for and find something that is difficult to locate or hidden.

I hunted out my old photos from the attic for the family reunion.

Can you hunt out the recipe for that cake we had last year?

hunt — noun

hunt — biographical name

Word family

  • hunter
    nounB1
  • hunting
    nounB1
  • hunted
    adjectiveB2
  • huntsman
    nounC1
  • huntress
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/3

These four verbs all describe efforts to find something, but they differ in intensity and formality. 'Search' (B1) is the most neutral and widely used: you can search a room, search online, or search for answers. 'Seek' (B2) is more formal and often appears in writing: job seekers seek employment, and journalists seek the truth. 'Look for' (A1) is the everyday, conversational option — you simply look for your keys or look for a good restaurant. 'Hunt' (A2) adds the idea of determined, sometimes urgent effort: hunting for a lost passport feels more desperate than looking for it. 'Track down' (B2) emphasises the outcome of finally locating someone or something after persistent searching, as in 'The police tracked down the witness after months of work.' Use 'hunt' when you want to convey active, persistent effort; use 'look for' in casual conversation; use 'seek' in formal writing; and use 'search' for everything in between.

search ↗seek ↗look for ↗track down

Common collocations

Nouns

  • animal hunt
  • fox hunt
  • treasure hunt
  • scavenger hunt
  • house hunt
  • job hunt

Adverbs

  • hunt carefully
  • hunt desperately
  • hunt actively
  • hunt relentlessly

Phrases

  • hunt high and low
  • on the hunt for
  • the hunt is on

Prepositions

  • hunt for
  • hunt through
  • hunt with

Etymology

Old EnglishGermanicMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'hunt' comes from Old English 'huntian', meaning to chase or pursue game. It is related to the Old English 'hentan' (to seize) and 'hunta' (huntsman). The word has Germanic roots and is connected to Old High German 'hunda' meaning 'booty' or 'spoils'. By the Middle English period, 'hunt' had taken on both the literal chasing-of-animals sense and the broader meaning of searching for anything. The use of 'hunt' for a group of fox-hunters emerged in the 18th century as fox hunting became a formalised social activity in Britain.