pursuit

/pəˈsjuːt/ (bre, ipa) · /pərˈsuːt/ (ame, ipa) · /pər-ˈsüt -ˈsyüt/ (ame, mw)

pursuit — noun

  • pursuitsingular
  • pursuitsplural

1. A regular activity that a person chooses to do in their free time for personal e

1.名詞B1
釋義

A regular activity that a person chooses to do in their free time for personal enjoyment, rather than for money or because they have to.

例句

Chiara fills her weekends with creative pursuits such as watercolor painting and pottery.

countable noun: creative pursuits / artistic pursuits

One of Abigail's favorite outdoor pursuits is hiking the forest trails near her home.

common collocation: outdoor pursuit

同義詞
  • hobby

    more personal and specific; a hobby is usually a single activity done regularly

  • pastime

    slightly more old-fashioned; emphasizes spending time pleasantly

  • interest

    broader; can include subjects studied or followed without active participation

反義詞
  • work

    the opposite context — an obligation rather than a chosen leisure activity

  • chore

    an unpleasant or boring task done out of duty

文法句型

pursuit + (of) + activity-noun

pursuit as complement of 'in'

用法筆記

Most commonly used with an adjective that describes the type of activity (creative, outdoor, intellectual, leisure). Frequently appears in the plural form pursuits when listing multiple interests.

常見錯誤

❌Cooking is my favorite persuit.
✅Cooking is my favorite pursuit.
💡the word 'pursuit' is commonly misspelled as 'persuit'; remember the 'ur' after 'p'.

2. The act of running after or chasing a person, animal, or vehicle so as to seize

2.名詞B1
釋義

The act of running after or chasing a person, animal, or vehicle so as to seize them or bring them to a halt.

例句

The officer's pursuit of the suspect ended in a small park near the river.

A dramatic movie scene shows a high-speed pursuit through busy downtown streets.

common collocation: high-speed pursuit

同義詞
  • chase

    more common in everyday speech; often implies running or driving after someone

  • hunt

    implies searching as well as chasing; often used for animals or fugitives

  • trail

    emphasizes following tracks or clues rather than immediate physical pursuit

反義詞
  • escape

    the successful act of getting away from a pursuer

  • flight

    the act of running away from danger or a pursuer

文法句型

in pursuit of + someone/something

in hot pursuit

pursuit of + criminal/suspect/prey

用法筆記

In this sense, pursuit is most often uncountable and appears in the fixed phrases 'in pursuit of' and 'in hot pursuit'. The phrase 'hot pursuit' is a legal term that allows police to chase a suspect across jurisdictional boundaries.

常見錯誤

❌The police are in pursue of the robber.
✅The police are in pursuit of the robber.
💡'pursue' is a verb; after the preposition 'in', the noun 'pursuit' must be used.
❌The police gave pursuit after the thief.' (sounds unnatural)
✅The police gave chase to the thief.
💡'give pursuit' is not idiomatic; use 'give chase' instead.

3. The continuous effort made to obtain or achieve something important, such as a g

3.名詞B2
釋義

The continuous effort made to obtain or achieve something important, such as a goal, a principle, or a particular way of life, with this work sometimes continuing for many years.

例句

The pursuit of knowledge drove Ishaan to spend years studying ancient languages.

classic collocation: the pursuit of knowledge / the pursuit of happiness

Elena's pursuit of a medical degree required countless late nights of hard work.

同義詞
  • quest

    more literary and dramatic; suggests a difficult, almost heroic search

  • search

    broader and more general; less emotional weight than pursuit

  • endeavor

    formal; emphasizes the effort and hard work involved

反義詞
  • abandonment

    giving up on a goal or ambition that one had been pursuing

  • neglect

    failing to give proper attention to an important aim

文法句型

pursuit of + abstract-noun (happiness/knowledge/justice)

the pursuit of + goal

in pursuit of + ideal

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1 (hobby), this sense implies serious, long-term effort and is typically uncountable. The phrase 'the pursuit of happiness' from the U.S. Declaration of Independence is a well-known fixed expression. Subject is usually a person, group, or organization; the object is an abstract goal or ideal.

常見錯誤

❌He is in pursuit to become a doctor.
✅He is in pursuit of becoming a doctor.
💡after 'in pursuit', always use 'of', not 'to'.
❌She is in the pursuit of her career.' (unnatural with 'the')
✅She is in pursuit of her career.
💡the definite article 'the' is usually omitted in the phrase 'in pursuit of'.