seek
Base form
seek
/siːk/
Past simple
sought
/sɔːt/
Past participle
sought
/sɔːt/
MeaningB2
to look for or try to get something
to play hide-and-seek
In use
- After a modal verb · Form 1You should seek medical advice if the pain gets worse.
- Negative · Form 1We don’t seek to make a profit, just to cover our costs.
- Past simple · Form 2Last year thousands of families sought shelter in the city’s schools.
- Past simple · Form 2After the storm on Friday, people sought safety on higher ground.
- Passive · Form 3Volunteers are urgently sought for the library’s reading project.
- Present perfect · Form 3The council has sought the views of local residents on the plan.
Watch out
Sought rhymes with thought; seeked is a guess. Seek is formal: in everyday speech people look for things.
Same pattern
-ought / -aughtForms two and three end in -ought or -aught
Irregular VerbsLearn all three forms for good
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