What's the past tense of "seek"?
The simple past tense of seek is sought, and the past participle is also sought. Use sought for both simple past and past participle forms.
Definition of seek
The Oxford Learner's Dictionary defines seek as "to ask somebody for something; to try to obtain or achieve something". It's used in contexts ranging from seeking advice to seeking opportunities.
- The past tense of seek is sought.
- The past participle of seek is sought.
Verb forms of 'seek'
Is "seek" a regular or irregular verb?
The verb seek is irregular. Its past tense and past participle forms are both sought, not "seeked." While "seeked" might be understood colloquially, it is not correct English. Sought follows a pattern similar to teach/taught and catch/caught.
When to use sought
They sought refuge in the mountain villages.
My mother had sought protection from the cold and harsh climate.
The verb seek uses the same form sought for both simple past tense and present or past perfect), it requires an auxiliary verb like have, has, or had. The simple past doesn't use a helper verb since it's a complete tense, so sought can stand alone in sentences as simple past.
Similar irregular verbs
Sentence examples: seek, sought, sought
• We seek a place to rest.
• She tried to seek a solution for the problem.
• She fled the country and now seeks asylum in Sweden.
• He searched long and hard, and eventually he found what he had sought.
• They sought in vain for somewhere to shelter.
• They sought refuge in the mountain villages.
• They'd sought alternatives before going with the more drastic decision.
• He had sought help from his mentor.
Synonyms & nearby words
Synonyms for seek
Nearby phrases
Common phrases with "seek"
to seek a knot in a bulrush
to play hide-and-seek
seek pastures new
seek revenge
Origin of the verb/word, seek
Middle English sēchen “go in search or quest of; strive for, try to attain,” from Old English secan, seocan “search for; pursue, chase; long for, wish for, desire; look for, expect from,” influenced by Old Norse soekja, both from Proto-Germanic *sokjanan.
Practice: Seek or sought?
She advice from her mentor before making a decision.
Many people happiness in life.
He shelter from the storm last night.
If you help, don’t be afraid to ask.
The explorers new lands during their voyage.
FAQs
Is "seeked" correct?
What type of verb is "seek"?
How do you use "sought" in a sentence?
What's the difference between "seek" and "search"?
Sources
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Definition of seek from the Collins English Dictionary. Accessed on January 20, 2023.
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Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of seek." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/seek. Accessed 20 January 2023.
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"Seek." TheFreeDictionary.com. 2023. Farlex, Inc. 20 Jan. 2023 https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/seek
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