search
search — verb
1. to look carefully through a place, area, or group of objects because you want to
to look carefully through a place, area, or group of objects because you want to find someone or something that is hidden or lost.
Zola searched every drawer in the kitchen for her missing keys.
search + place + for + object
The firefighters searched the burning building for anyone still trapped inside.
search + building + for + person
Talia searched through her backpack but could not find the library book.
search through + container
Liang searched the whole house before realising his phone was in his coat pocket.
The rescue team searched the riverbank for signs of the missing canoe.
passive context: search area for evidence
- search carefully
- search frantically
- search thoroughly
- search for clues
Usage Note
Commonly followed by 'for' when stating what you want to find. When the place is the object, use transitive form: 'search the room'. When the place is not mentioned, use intransitive: 'search for a solution'.
Common Mistakes
2. to attempt to discover an explanation or solution through careful thought, quest
to attempt to discover an explanation or solution through careful thought, questioning, or study of information.
Scientists are still searching for a cure to the common cold.
search for + abstract goal (cure, solution, answer)
Rodrigo searched his memory for the name of the restaurant they had visited the year before.
The committee searched for a fair solution that would satisfy both sides.
search for + solution + purpose clause
Salma searched online forums hoping to understand why her laptop kept crashing.
Historians searched through old letters for clues about the writer's early life.
search through + source + for + clue
- search for answers
- search for the truth
- search one's memory
- search for a solution
- ignore
to deliberately pay no attention to a problem
Common Mistakes
3. to examine someone's body, clothes, or bags in an official way to see if they ar
to examine someone's body, clothes, or bags in an official way to see if they are hiding something illegal or forbidden.
The security guard searched every visitor before allowing them into the concert hall.
transitive: search + person (before entering)
Police officers searched the suspect thoroughly but found nothing illegal in his pockets.
At the airport, customs officials searched the woman's suitcase and found nothing unusual.
search + possession (suitcase, bag, vehicle)
The guard searched the driver's vehicle for several minutes at the border checkpoint.
Imani felt nervous when the officer asked to search her bag at the stadium entrance.
- search a suspect
- search someone's bags
- search a vehicle
- strip-search
Usage Note
This sense is used for official checks by police, security, or customs officers. For a casual look through someone's belongings, use the LOOK FOR sense instead. The person or their possessions is the direct object — no 'for' is needed.
Common Mistakes
4. to enter words or phrases into a computer, website, or database in order to find
to enter words or phrases into a computer, website, or database in order to find information, images, or other content.
Putri searched online for cheap flights to Tokyo during the summer holiday.
search + online + for + target information
If you do not know a word, you can search a dictionary website to find its meaning.
Saira searched the company database for the customer's order number.
search + database + for + specific piece of data
You can search for images by typing keywords into the search bar at the top.
The student searched academic journals online for articles about climate change.
- search online
- search the internet
- search a website
- search for information
- search results
Usage Note
When the thing being searched (database, website) is named directly, use the transitive form: 'search the database'. When only stating what information is wanted, use intransitive with 'for': 'search for flights'.
Common Mistakes
search out
phrasal verbto find someone or something by looking very carefully and with determination.
Nellie managed to search out a rare book from a small second-hand shop.
The reporter searched out witnesses who had seen the accident happen.
search through
phrasal verbto examine the contents of something thoroughly, one item after another.
The librarian searched through the old filing cabinet for records from the 1990s.
Darius searched through his email inbox to find the confirmation message.
search — noun
1. an act of looking for someone or something, especially when you do not know exac
an act of looking for someone or something, especially when you do not know exactly where they are.
The search for the missing hiker continued through the night.
the search for + person/thing sought
Zola led the search for her brother's lost wallet in the busy park.
The police called off the search after finding no evidence in the area.
call off the search; call off + the search + reason
A thorough search of the building revealed nothing suspicious at all.
The search for the escaped dog lasted well past midnight that evening.
- search for
- conduct a search
- call off a search
- search party
- search warrant
Usage Note
Commonly used in phrases like 'in search of', 'search for', and 'search party'. 'A search of + place' is used when describing where the search happened.
2. the act of looking for an explanation or solution to a challenging question, oft
the act of looking for an explanation or solution to a challenging question, often involving study or investigation.
Their search for the truth about the accident took several months.
search for + abstract target (truth, answer, meaning)
The philosopher's search for the meaning of life is a timeless human question.
Brooke's search for a better job led her to move to another city far away.
The search for a peaceful solution continued despite the growing tension between the two sides.
the search for + solution + background clause
Medical researchers are intensifying their search for new treatments for the disease.
- search for truth
- search for answers
- search for meaning
- search for a solution
- quest
more dramatic or literary
- pursuit
suggests continuous effort over time
- investigation
more formal and systematic
3. the action of typing words into a website, database, or app to locate content or
the action of typing words into a website, database, or app to locate content or data that you need.
A quick online search showed that the restaurant had excellent reviews.
online search + result clause
The search returned more than ten thousand results for the keyword.
search returns results; passive construction
You can narrow your search by adding more specific words to the query.
A search of the database revealed that the part was no longer in stock.
a search of + database + that-clause result
The website's search function helps users find products by category or price.
- online search
- internet search
- search results
- search engine
- search bar
- narrow a search
- query
more technical; used in computing contexts
- lookup
used for finding a specific piece of data in a database
- search query
refers specifically to the words you type into a search engine
Usage Note
Often combined with 'online', 'internet', or 'web' as modifiers. 'Search results' is a common compound noun when talking about what the computer shows.
4. the activity or process of looking for something, especially when it takes time,
the activity or process of looking for something, especially when it takes time, effort, or careful attention.
The children's search for hidden treasure kept them busy all afternoon.
search for + concrete target + result
After hours of careful search, the team finally found the rare fossil in the cliff face.
The search for a new apartment took longer than Darius had expected.
Their search for the perfect wedding venue lasted nearly six months.
The search for the missing documents required looking through every cabinet in the office.
search for + object + required + gerund clause
- the search for
- a long search
- the search continues
- abandon the search
Usage Note
This sense refers to the abstract concept or duration of searching rather than a specific instance. Often used with 'the search for + [target]' to describe the general effort involved.
search me
idioma very informal way of saying you do not know the answer to a question.
When I asked why the train was late, the driver just shrugged and said, 'Search me.'
Search me why she decided to leave early — she never told anyone her reasons.
in search of
idiomtrying to find someone or something; looking for.
The family moved to Canada in search of better job opportunities.
Talia went to the library in search of a quiet place to study for her final exams.
search party
idioma group of people who go out to look for someone who is lost or missing.
The family organised a search party when the elderly man did not return from his walk.
A search party of over fifty volunteers scoured the mountain for the lost climber.
Word family
- searchernounB2
- searchableadjectiveB2
- searchingadjectiveC1
- searchinglyadverbC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
'Search' and 'look for' are the most common pair, but they differ in thoroughness. 'Search' implies a careful, systematic effort — you search a room, a database, or an area by going through it methodically. 'Look for' is more general and can be casual: you can look for your keys by glancing around the table. 'Seek' is more formal or literary and is rarely used in everyday conversation ('seek employment', 'seek the truth'). 'Scan' means to look quickly over a surface, list, or text without deep attention — you scan a menu to find a dish you like, but you search the kitchen if you cannot find the salt. Use 'search' for organised effort, 'look for' for everyday needs, 'seek' in formal writing, and 'scan' for fast visual checks.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'search' entered English through Old French 'cerchier', meaning 'to go around, examine, or look for'. This came from Latin 'circare', which meant 'to go about' and was formed from 'circus', meaning 'circle'. The sense of looking carefully comes from the idea of going around a place thoroughly — covering every part of it like walking in circles until you find what you need.