seek
//ˈsiːk//
Forms
- present (v1)
- seek
- past (v2)
- sought
- past participle (v3)
- sought
- present participle
- seeking
- 3rd person singular
- seeks
- Plural
- seeks
Definitions
1.To try to find; to look for; to search for.
- "No, you wait. You're obviously a very sick man. I think you need to seek professional help. I'm sorry, but I can't help you."
2.To ask for; to solicit; to beseech.
- Others, tempting him, sought of him a sign.
- “My, my! It is indeed a long way yet, look you!” said the pleasant woman of whom I sought directions.
- I seek forgiveness through repentance.
3.To try to acquire or gain; to strive after; to aim at.
- I sought my fortune on the goldfields.
- But persecution sought the lives of men of this character.
- I can no longer seek fame or glory, nor can I help trying to get rid of my riches, which separate me from my fellow-creatures.
4.To try to reach or come to; to go to; to resort to.
- When the alarm went off I sought the exit in a panic.
- Seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.
1.The operation of navigating through a stream.
- The number of seeks to retrieve a shot […] depends on the location of those frames on physical blocks.
Frequency
Overall
Common· #756
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Common
- Academic
- Uncommon
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
From Middle English seke, seken, from Old English sēċan, sēċean, sœ̄ċan, from Proto-West Germanic *sōkijan, from Proto-Germanic *sōkijaną (“to seek”), from Proto-Indo-European *séh₂gyeti (“to seek out”), from *seh₂g- (“to follow, trace”).
Cognates