seek

seek

W1 [si:k] v past tense and past participle sought [so:t US so:t]

[T]

[: Old English; Origin: secan]

1.) formal to try to achieve or get something

▪ Do you think the President will seek re-election ?

seek refuge/asylum/shelter etc

▪ Thousands of people crossed the border, seeking refuge from the war.

seek revenge/damages/compensation etc

▪ He sought revenge against Surkov for separating him from his wife and son.

seek to do sth

▪ Local schools are seeking to reduce the dropout rate.

attention-seeking/publicity-seeking

2.) seek (sb's) advice/help/assistance etc

formal to ask someone for advice or help

▪ If the symptoms persist, seek medical advice.

3.) written to look for someone or something

= ↑look for

▪ new graduates seeking employment

▪ Attractive woman, 27, seeks male, 25-35, for fun and friendship.

4.) seek your fortune

literary to go to another place hoping to gain success and wealth

▪ Coles came to the Yukon in the 1970s to seek his fortune.

5.) to move naturally towards something or into a particular position

▪ Water seeks its own level.

→↑heat-seeking, ↑hide-and-seek, ↑self-seeking, ↑sought-after

seek out [seek sb/sth<=>out] phr v

to try to find someone or something, especially when this is difficult

▪ Our mission is to seek out the enemy and destroy them.

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HINT sense 1

In spoken English it is more usual to use look for or try to find.

HINT sense 2

In spoken English it is more usual to use try to get.

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