PURSUE: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for PURSUE?

Need another word that means the same as “pursue”? Find 85 synonyms and 30 related words for “pursue” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Pursue” are: engage, prosecute, follow, go after, quest after, quest for, act on, follow up on, run after, chase, give chase to, woo, court, pay court to, pay suit to, chase after, strive for, push towards, work towards, try for, seek, search for, quest, be intent on, aim at, aim for, have as a goal, have as an objective, aspire to, trouble, bother, burden, distress, cause trouble to, cause suffering to, beset, harass, worry, oppress, annoy, vex, irritate, exasperate, strain, stress, tax, engage in, be engaged in, be occupied in, participate in, take part in, work at, practise, conduct, ply, apply oneself to, go in for, take up, undertake, carry on, devote oneself to, go on with, proceed with, go ahead with, carry on with, keep on with, continue with, continue, take further, persist in, stick at, stick with, investigate, research, inquire into, look into, examine, study, review, check, scrutinize, analyse, delve into, dig into, probe

Pursue as a Verb

Definitions of "Pursue" as a verb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “pursue” as a verb can have the following definitions:

• Go in search of or hunt for.
• Follow in or as if in pursuit.
• Carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in.
• Engage in (an activity or course of action.
• Continue or proceed along (a path or route.
• Seek to attain or accomplish (a goal) over a long period.
• (of something unpleasant) persistently afflict (someone.
• Carry further or advance.
• Follow or chase (someone or something.
• Persistently seek to form a sexual relationship with (someone.
• Continue to investigate or explore (an idea or argument.

Synonyms of "Pursue" as a verb (85 Words)

act on	Perform an action, or work out or perform (an action.
aim at	Point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards.
aim for	Have an ambitious plan or a lofty goal.
analyse	Psychoanalyse someone. This DNA can be analysed by various methods including full base sequencing.
annoy	Cause annoyance in disturb especially by minor irritations. Your damned cheerfulness has always annoyed me.
apply oneself to	Apply oneself to.
aspire to	Have an ambitious plan or a lofty goal.
be engaged in	Spend or use time.
be intent on	Spend or use time.
be occupied in	Spend or use time.
beset	Decorate or cover lavishly (as with gems. She was beset with self doubt.
bother	Take the trouble to do something. Secrecy is an issue which bothers journalists.
burden	Load heavily. She walked forwards burdened with a wooden box.
carry on	Have a certain range.
carry on with	Be necessarily associated with or result in or involve.
cause suffering to	Cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner.
cause trouble to	Give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally.
chase	Pursue in order to catch or catch up with. The cost of the police time needed to chase up every new offence.
chase after	Go after with the intent to catch.
check	Write out a check on a bank account. Efforts were made to check the disease.
conduct	Transmit a form of energy such as heat or electricity by conduction. Many metals conduct heat.
continue	Continue talking. The Archipelago continues for another 500 miles.
continue with	Do something repeatedly and showing no intention to stop.
court	Be involved with (someone) romantically, with the intention of marrying. John is courting Mary.
delve into	Turn up, loosen, or remove earth.
devote oneself to	Dedicate.
dig into	Create by digging.
distress	Bring into difficulties or distress especially financial hardship. The news of her child s illness distressed the mother.
engage	Keep engaged. Engage aid help services or support.
engage in	Give to in marriage.
examine	Question or examine thoroughly and closely. The customs agent examined the baggage.
exasperate	Exasperate or irritate. This futile process exasperates prison officers.
follow	Follow in or as if in pursuit. She followed dinner with a brandy.
follow up on	To be the product or result.
give chase to	Give or convey physically.
go after	Continue to live through hardship or adversity.
go ahead with	Continue to live through hardship or adversity.
go in for	Be or continue to be in a certain condition.
go on with	Follow a certain course.
harass	Annoy continually or chronically. Being harassed at work can leave you feeling confused and helpless.
have as a goal	Organize or be responsible for.
have as an objective	Undergo.
inquire into	Conduct an inquiry or investigation of.
investigate	Investigate scientifically. The district attorney s office investigated reports of possible irregularities.
irritate	Make (someone) annoyed or a little angry. It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves.
keep on with	Retain rights to.
look into	Perceive with attention; direct one’s gaze towards.
oppress	Keep (someone) in subjection and hardship, especially by the unjust exercise of authority. The government oppresses political activists.
participate in	Become a participant; be involved in.
pay court to	Discharge or settle.
pay suit to	Do or give something to somebody in return.
persist in	Continue to exist.
ply	Apply oneself diligently. Ply fabric.
practise	Perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to acquire, improve or maintain proficiency in it. He practised as a barrister.
probe	Examine physically with or as if with a probe. Hands probed his body from top to bottom.
proceed with	Move ahead; travel onward in time or space.
prosecute	Bring a criminal action against (in a trial. The company didn t prosecute because of his age.
push towards	Sell or promote the sale of (illegal goods such as drugs.
quest	Seek alms, as for religious purposes. Things that die with their eyes open and questing.
quest after	Search the trail of (game.
quest for	Bark with prolonged noises, of dogs.
research	Discover or verify information for use in (a book, programme, etc. The team have been researching into flora and fauna.
review	Hold a review of troops. I reviewed his first novel.
run after	Continue to exist.
scrutinize	Examine carefully for accuracy with the intent of verification. He scrutinized his likeness in the mirror.
search for	Inquire into.
seek	Try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of. Seek an education.
stick at	Stay put (in a certain place.
stick with	Endure.
strain	Rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender. The rope strained when the weight was attached.
stress	Put stress on utter with an accent. Don t stress there s plenty of time to get a grip on the situation.
strive for	To exert much effort or energy.
study	Apply oneself to study. Schoolchildren studying up on their forebears games and chores.
take further	Require as useful, just, or proper.
take part in	Carry out.
take up	Take as an undesirable consequence of some event or state of affairs.
tax	Pay tax on something especially a vehicle. They taxed him failure to appear in court.
trouble	Take the trouble to do something concern oneself. Sorry to trouble you.
try for	Give pain or trouble to.
undertake	Accept as a charge. A lorry driver implicitly undertakes that he is reasonably skilled as a driver.
vex	Cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations. I wouldn t vex it will be just great if whoever borrow the pump just bring it back.
woo	Try to gain the love of (someone), especially with a view to marriage. He wooed her with quotes from Shakespeare.
work at	Gratify and charm, usually in order to influence.
work towards	Give a workout to.
worry	Be on the mind of. I worry about the second Germanic consonant shift.

Usage Examples of "Pursue" as a verb

• A heavily indebted businessman was being pursued by creditors.
• The police car pursued the suspected attacker.
• Pursue a hobby.
• The officer pursued the van.
• We shall not pursue the matter any further.
• Andrew was determined to pursue a computer career.
• Mercy lasts as long as sin pursues man.
• Should people pursue their own happiness at the expense of others?
• She pursued many activities.
• Sophie was being pursued by a number of men.
• The road pursued a straight course over the scrubland.
• The council decided not to pursue an appeal.

Associations of "Pursue" (30 Words)

actively	In an energetic or vigorous way. Actively growing weeds.
aggressively	In an aggressive manner. He resisted violently and continued to behave aggressively in the police car.
ambition	Have as one s ambition. Young men and women with ambition.
aspiration	A manner of articulation involving an audible release of breath. The needs and aspirations of the people.
aspire	Have an ambitious plan or a lofty goal. Above the domes of loftiest mosques these pinnacles aspire.
briskly	In an active, quick, or energetic way. He replied briskly that no one at his school had ever gone truant.
busy	Of facilities such as telephones or lavatories unavailable for use by anyone else or indicating unavailability engaged is a British term for a busy telephone line. A busy painting.
career	The time spent by a person in a career. The end of a distinguished career in the Royal Navy.
desire	Express a desire for. There had been a time years ago when he had desired her.
diligently	In a way that shows care and conscientiousness in one’s work or duties. He spends his nights diligently working on his dissertation.
dream	Indulge in daydreams or fantasies about something greatly desired. I have this pipe dream about being emperor of the universe.
driven	Urged or forced to action through moral pressure. A chauffeur driven limousine.
energetically	In a manner showing or involving great activity or vitality. The royal pair were dancing energetically.
enforced	Forced or compelled or put in force. Enforced obedience.
engage	Engage for service under a term of contract. Tank and infantry units engaged the enemy.
engaged	Having ones attention or mind or energy engaged. Receptionists telephones are always engaged.
enterprising	Having or showing initiative and resourcefulness. An enterprising young man likely to go far.
fruition	The condition of bearing fruit. The plans have come to fruition rather sooner than expected.
inquisitive	Showing curiosity. I didn t like to seem inquisitive.
interested	Having or showing interest; especially curiosity or fascination or concern. I had always been interested in history.
longing	A yearning desire. Her longing eyes.
obsess	Be constantly talking or worrying about something. He was obsessed with the idea of revenge.
passion	A thing arousing great enthusiasm. Modern furniture is a particular passion of Bill s.
practise	Perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to acquire, improve or maintain proficiency in it. He practised as a barrister.
prosecute	Carry on (a trade or pursuit. A serious threat to the government s ability to prosecute the war.
seek	Go to or towards. A liquid seeks its own level.
vigorously	With vigor; in a vigorous manner. He defended his ideas vigorously.
want	Feel or have a desire for want strongly. The wheel wants greasing.
wish	Order politely express a wish for. They wish to become involved.
wishing	A specific feeling of desire. He was above all wishing and desire.