pursue

pursue — verb

1. to run after a person, animal, or vehicle, trying to catch up to them

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to run after a person, animal, or vehicle, trying to catch up to them

Example

The police officer pursued the thief through the narrow streets of the old town.

direct pursuit of a person

A stray dog pursued Rohan's bicycle all the way to the park gate.

pursue + vehicle as object

Common collocations
  • hotly pursued
  • pursue relentlessly
  • pursue through the streets
Synonyms
  • chase

    less formal, more common in everyday speech

  • follow

    can mean going behind without the intention to catch

  • trail

    suggests following secretly or at a distance

Antonyms
  • flee

    to run away from; the opposite action

  • escape

    to successfully get away from a pursuer

Grammar Patterns

pursue + noun phrase

Usage Note

This sense focuses on physical movement to overtake someone or something. It is more formal than 'chase', which is the everyday equivalent.

Common Mistakes

The police chased after the thief' (when writing formally).
The police pursued the thief through the city.
'chase after' is less formal; 'pursue' suits written or formal contexts.

2. to try to persuade a person to take a role by showing strong interest and making

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to try to persuade a person to take a role by showing strong interest and making repeated offers

Example

The company has been pursuing a new chief engineer for several months now.

pursue + person for a role

Top universities often pursue outstanding students with generous scholarship offers.

Common collocations
  • actively pursued
  • aggressively pursued by recruiters
  • pursued for a position
Synonyms
  • recruit

    more direct and common; 'pursue' suggests sustained effort

  • court

    formal, often used for high-level executives or talent

Grammar Patterns

pursue + noun phrase (person for a role)

Usage Note

Frequently used in passive form: 'She was pursued by several firms.' The object is always a person, not a job or position.

Common Mistakes

They pursued the job with great effort.
They pursued her for the job.
in this sense, the object is the person you want to hire, not the job itself.

3. to search for facts, answers, or knowledge about a particular topic or question

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to search for facts, answers, or knowledge about a particular topic or question

Example

The scientist decided to pursue a new line of research into the rare disease.

pursue + a line of research / inquiry

Detectives are pursuing every possible lead in the missing-person case.

collocation: pursue a lead

Common collocations
  • pursue a line of inquiry
  • pursue a lead
  • pursue a question
  • pursue an investigation
Synonyms
  • investigate

    more systematic and formal; suggests an official process

  • explore

    suggests open-ended discovery without a fixed answer

  • look into

    less formal, common in conversation

Antonyms
  • ignore

    to deliberately avoid or pay no attention to

Grammar Patterns

pursue + noun phrase (matter/lead/line of inquiry/quotation)

Usage Note

Often used in academic, journalistic, and legal contexts. The object is typically an abstract thing such as a question, lead, line of inquiry, or topic.

Common Mistakes

I pursued about the topic.
I pursued the topic further.
'pursue' is transitive and takes a direct object; do not add a preposition after it.

4. to try to win someone's romantic interest, often by showing attention over time

4.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to try to win someone's romantic interest, often by showing attention over time

Example

Felipe pursued Tariq's sister for months before she finally agreed to a date.

romantic pursuit + time frame

In the film, a young painter pursues a famous dancer across several European cities.

Common collocations
  • persistently pursued
  • pursued by an admirer
  • pursue someone romantically
Synonyms
  • woo

    slightly old-fashioned or literary

  • court

    formal, suggests traditional dating

  • chase after

    informal, can sound less serious

Antonyms
  • reject

    to turn down someone's romantic interest

  • ignore

    to show no romantic interest in someone

Grammar Patterns

pursue + noun phrase (person)

Usage Note

This sense describes ongoing effort to gain someone's romantic affection. It can sound slightly formal or literary — in casual conversation, 'ask out' or 'try to get a date with' is more common.

Common Mistakes

He pursued a relationship with her' (vague).
He pursued her romantically for several weeks.
in this sense, the direct object is typically the person, not the relationship.

5. to keep working at a goal or ambition steadily, often for months or years

5.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to keep working at a goal or ambition steadily, often for months or years

Example

Indra has been pursuing a degree in public health since she finished high school.

pursue + academic degree

The charity pursues its mission of bringing clean water to every village in the region.

pursue + mission / goal

Common collocations
  • pursue a goal
  • pursue a dream
  • pursue a career
  • pursue an interest
  • pursue a policy
Synonyms
  • strive for

    emphasises effort and difficulty

  • work toward

    more concrete; describes the action rather than the intention

  • seek

    broader; can be immediate or long-term

  • go after

    informal

Antonyms
  • abandon

    to give up a goal or plan

  • give up

    to stop trying to achieve something

Grammar Patterns

pursue + noun phrase (goal/dream/career/interest)

Usage Note

This is the broadest and most common sense of 'pursue'. The object is always an abstract goal, ambition, activity, or plan — never a person. Frequently used in professional, academic, and personal-development contexts.

Common Mistakes

I pursue to become a doctor.
I plan to pursue a career in medicine.
'pursue' takes a noun phrase as object, not an infinitive verb.
Idioms

pursue the matter

idiom

to continue dealing with an issue or problem until it is resolved

The lawyer decided to pursue the matter in court despite the high costs involved.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/5

These words all describe trying to reach a goal, but they differ in tone and implication. 'Pursue' (the headword) emphasises sustained, focused effort over time and is the most neutral and versatile of the group — you can pursue a career, a dream, or a policy. 'Strive for' adds a layer of difficulty or struggle: you strive for excellence or justice. 'Seek' is broader and more immediate; you can seek help, a job, or the truth without a long timeframe. 'Chase' suggests urgency and is less deliberate — you chase a prize or a record rather than a long-term ambition. 'Go after' is the informal equivalent and works in casual speech. For example: 'She pursued a degree in medicine' (long-term plan); 'She sought advice from her professor' (single immediate action); 'She went after the promotion' (informal active effort).

pursue ↗strive forseek ↗chase ↗go after ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • pursue a goal
  • pursue a dream
  • pursue a career
  • pursue an interest
  • pursue a policy
  • pursue a claim
  • pursue a matter

Prepositions

  • after (phrasal: go after)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'pursue' entered English in the 13th century from Old French 'poursuir', which came from Latin 'prosequi' — a combination of 'pro-' (forward) and 'sequi' (to follow). So its original meaning was literally 'to follow forward'. The sense of chasing someone physically developed alongside the more abstract meaning of striving toward a goal, which appeared in English by the 15th century.