Pursue Pursued Pursuing Legal Decided Hotly Verb Bre

• to pursue a goal/an aim/an objective
• we intend to pursue this policy with determination.
• she wishes to pursue a medical career.
• to pursue legal action

pursue

1. to do something or try to achieve something over a period of time
• to pursue a goal/an aim/an objective
• We intend to pursue this policy with determination.
• She wishes to pursue a medical career.
2. to continue to discuss, find out about or be involved in something
• to pursue legal action
• We have decided not to pursue the matter.
3. to follow or chase somebody/something, especially in order to catch them
• She left the theatre, hotly pursued by the press.
• Police pursued the car at high speed.
• Jake has been pursuing her (= trying to have a relationship with her) for months.

Extra Examples

• He ran past, hotly pursued by two policemen.
• He was still doggedly pursuing his studies.
• How can we most effectively pursue these aims?
• How do you decide which career you wish to pursue?
• I decided the matter was not worth pursuing further.
• We have decided not to pursue the matter further.
• the freedom to pursue her own interests
• She drove away, hotly pursued by the photographers.
• We have no option but to pursue legal action.

Verb Forms

• present simple I / you / we / they pursue
• he / she / it pursues
• past simple pursued
• past participle pursued
• -ing form pursuing

Word Origin

• Middle English (originally in the sense ‘follow with hatred’): from Anglo-Norman French pursuer, from an alteration of Latin prosequi ‘prosecute’.