Read full poem →Follow a shadow, it still flies you;
Seem to fly it, it will pursue:
So court a mistress, she denies you;
Dictionary Entry
pursue
Part of SpeechverbPronunciation/pəˈʃu/Word FrequencyCommon (5.32)Curriculum FrequencyLess common (1)Used In Literature ↓To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase.
In a Sentence
“Students can use pursue to explain To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase..”
Published Usage Examples
“What the critic and writer subsequently go on to pursue is divergent from this initial experience, but ideally both can be traced back to the common source.”
“The edge we pursue is an intersection of man and nature on nature's terms.”
This entry also appears in ReadingWillow Year 11 word lists, so students can move between the dictionary and year-level study sets.
Origin
From Old French pursuivre, from Latin prosequi ('to follow').
Common Phrases
. pursue
Related Words
Poetry examples for “pursue”
Excerpts from the ReadingWillow English Library collection.
Read full poem →And peace, which ev'ry where
With so much earnestness you do pursue,
Is only there.
Read full poem →But see the softly-stealing tears apace
Pursue each other down the mourner's face;
But cease thy tears, bid ev'ry sigh depart,
Read full poem →No such booty as these.
Were it simply a friend to pursue
'Mid my million or two,
Read full poem →Guilt, erring man, relenting view,
But shall thy legal rage pursue
The wretch, already crushed low
Read full poem →His wretched refuge, dark despair,
While ravening wrongs and woes pursue,
And distant far the faithful few
Read full poem →The Muse his ready quill employed,
No nearer bliss he could pursue;
That bliss Clarinda cold deny’d—
