verb

seek

SEEK/siːk/

To try to find or obtain something.

The woman seeks her lost dog along the woodland path.

A young Black woman searches carefully along a woodland path for a lost small dog, purposeful pursuit.

Etymology

seekOld Englishsearch for, pursue, desire

Old English secan covered both searching for something and desiring it. That combination survives in seeking a goal: the object may be something to find, something to attain, or something to request.

In context

Smarter While You Sleep121:45

By selectively keeping information back, you establish yourself as someone who has something others want, making them more inclined to seek your attention

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More examples

She seeks advice from someone she trusts.
We sought shelter when the storm began.
The clinic is seeking volunteers for weekend shifts.

Forms

seek · seeks · sought · seeking

seeker noun — A person trying to find or obtain something.

Similar words

search: Emphasizes looking carefully rather than trying to obtain something.
pursue: Emphasizes continued effort toward a goal or desired result.
request: Means directly asking for something rather than looking for it.