questing
questing — adjective
- questingpositive
- more questingcomparative
- most questingsuperlative
1. showing a strong and continuous effort to find something very hard to reach or t
showing a strong and continuous effort to find something very hard to reach or to accomplish a difficult goal — used before a noun to describe a person's determined attitude or a journey with a clear purpose.
Benjamin, with his questing mind, never accepted simple answers without proof.
questing + mind (attributive, describing attitude)
The questing knight rode into the dark forest, searching for the lost sword.
questing + knight (attributive, describing a person on a journey)
A questing spirit drove the explorers across the frozen mountain range.
Yara's questing eyes scanned the crowded market for her missing friend.
The old map described a questing hero who crossed seven rivers to reach the temple.
- searching
less intense, more neutral than 'questing'
- seeking
similar meaning but less dramatic and more common in everyday use
- exploratory
focuses on discovering new things rather than finding a specific goal
文法句型
questing + noun
用法筆記
Almost always placed before a noun — it describes a quality, not a temporary action. Common in stories and descriptive writing.
questing — noun
1. the act of looking for something important or of trying to gain something valuab
the act of looking for something important or of trying to gain something valuable through determined effort over a period of time.
The dogs' questing through the bushes showed they had found a strong scent.
questing + through (noun followed by location phrase)
Her questing for rare plants took her to remote islands across the Pacific Ocean.
questing for + noun (what is being sought)
Dr. Amara Okafor's questing through hospital records found the gene behind a rare kidney disease.
The questing for answers kept the research team working late every night that week.
Imran believed that questing after fame was less meaningful than pursuing knowledge.
文法句型
questing for + noun
questing after + noun
常見錯誤
questing — verb
- questingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- questings3rd person singular
- questinging-ing form
- questingedpast simple
1. to spend time and energy looking for something important, or to travel with the
to spend time and energy looking for something important, or to travel with the goal of finding a specific thing or achieving a particular aim.
Sahil quested through the desert for three months to find the hidden oasis.
quest + through + noun + for + noun
The young heroes quested across the mountains, hoping to reach the ancient temple.
Putri quested after knowledge every day, reading every book in the village library.
For years she quested for the truth about what happened to her family.
The explorers quested through the jungle, hoping to find the hidden temple of gold.
文法句型
quest for + noun
quest after + noun
quest through + noun
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: this sense describes a broader journey or long-term search, not the specific act of following an animal's trail.
2. to follow the tracks or signs left behind by an animal while hunting, in order t
to follow the tracks or signs left behind by an animal while hunting, in order to locate it.
The hunter quested the trail through the thick fog early in the morning.
quested + trail (transitive, direct object is the trail)
Caio quested the deer's tracks along the muddy riverbank near the forest.
Beatrix quested the path carefully, looking for any sign of the lost animal.
The dogs quested the scent across the open field until they reached the fence.
Experienced trackers can quest a trail that is several days old without much trouble.
- track
more common; can be used for both animals and people
- trail
similar meaning; often used as both noun and verb
- follow the scent
more explicit description of the action
文法句型
quest + trail / path / scent
用法筆記
This sense is about physically following tracks or a scent trail. The object is the trail itself or the scent. Do not confuse with sense 3, which describes the sound a dog makes while hunting.
3. to make a long, deep barking sound, as hunting dogs do when they have picked up
to make a long, deep barking sound, as hunting dogs do when they have picked up an animal's scent and are chasing it.
The hounds quested loudly as they chased the fox across the open field.
quested + sound adverb (loudly)
We could hear the dogs questing in the distance, deep within the dark forest.
The hunting dogs quested and howled when they finally picked up the fresh scent.
Eleni heard the hounds questing from her small cabin near the edge of the woods.
Three hounds quested at the old oak tree where the cat had climbed.
文法句型
quest (with sound adverb)
quest at + noun
用法筆記
This sense describes only the barking or baying sound, not the action of following a trail. If a dog is questing (sense 3), it is making noise; if it is questing the trail (sense 2), it is silently following tracks.
常見錯誤
4. to make a formal or serious request to someone, asking them to provide something
to make a formal or serious request to someone, asking them to provide something that you need or strongly want.
Noa quested the village elders for permission to build a new medical clinic.
quested + person + for + noun
The farmer quested his neighbor for help bringing in the harvest before the rain.
Yuna quested the officials for a visa so she could visit her sick mother abroad.
Aoi quested the king for protection after bandits attacked her family's village.
The villagers quested the government for food supplies after the flood destroyed their crops.
文法句型
quest + person + for + noun
quest for + noun
用法筆記
This sense is very old-fashioned. In modern English, 'ask for', 'request', or 'beg for' are used instead. You will almost never hear this in everyday conversation.