The pursue synonym that fits best changes with the object: you chase a thief, seek or strive for a goal, take up a hobby and look into a complaint. Each of these keeps the idea of effort over time, which is the heart of pursue.
Looking for another word for pursue in a personal statement, a cover letter or an email? Start with the goal sense below. Readers of job applications see pursue a passion so often that a fresher verb helps you stand out. The seek and strive pages carry on from here.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
seek, strive for, chase, take up, followPart of speech
Verb (takes an object)Most formal
strive for, undertake, aspire toMost casual
go after, go for, chaseStrongest
hunt, strive for, push forAntonyms
abandon, give up, avoid, fleeWatch out
Stalk means following someone in a frightening or illegal way. Never use it as a light swap for pursue.Word forms covered
pursues, pursued, pursuing, pursuit
Pursue synonym options sorted by what you are after
| You are after | Swap in | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| A goal or dream | seek, strive for, aim for, work toward | She is working toward a pilot license. |
| A person or animal | chase, follow, track, run after | The ranger tracked the bear for miles. |
| A career or subject | take up, study, specialize in, embark on | He plans to specialize in heart surgery. |
| A question or case | look into, investigate, follow up | I will follow up with the supplier tomorrow. |
| A romantic partner | court, woo | He wooed her with terrible poems. |
Tone check: from go after to strive for
Those five colored chips climb in formality as you move right. Go after is everyday speech: go after that job. Chase is lively and a little informal: chase your dreams. Aim for is neutral and practical. Seek is polished and fits applications and official letters. Strive for sounds the most formal and stresses hard, steady effort.
In a scholarship essay, seek and strive for sound serious. Texting a friend? Go for it is all you need.
Old wording, new wording
- I want to pursue a career in law becomes I want to build a career in law.
- She pursued her studies abroad becomes she continued her studies abroad.
- Police pursued the car becomes police chased the car.
- We will pursue the matter becomes we will look into the matter.
- He pursues excellence becomes he strives for excellence.
- They pursued the deal for months becomes they pushed for the deal for months.
One applicant drafted this line: "I want to pursue my passion for biology." Admissions readers have seen that line many times. "I want to spend my degree asking how cells repair damage" names the passion and shows curiosity at once.
Pursued, pursuing and pursuit
For pursued, try chased, followed, sought or took up. A hobby she pursued for years is a hobby she kept up for years. For pursuing, try seeking, working toward or studying: currently pursuing a master's degree becomes currently studying for a master's degree, which is plainer and just as clear.
The noun pursuit has two senses. As a chase, swap in hunt or chase. As an activity, swap in hobby, interest or activity: outdoor pursuits are outdoor activities. For results rather than effort, see achieve.
Pursue alternatives that can backfire
Follow can mean simply walking behind someone, with no effort or goal, so follow a dream works but follow a degree does not. Achieve means you already got it, while pursue means you are still trying. Hunt suits animals, bargains and missing keys, but sounds aggressive for people unless you mean a manhunt. Stalk describes a crime when used about people.
For a softer verb about following instructions or a path, the follow synonyms page has gentler options.
Opposites of pursue
To stop pursuing a goal, you give up, abandon, drop or shelve it. Shelve suggests you may return later. To move away from someone, you flee or escape. To stay away from a subject, you avoid or neglect it.
- The council shelved the stadium plan.
- The deer fled into the woods.
- He avoided the topic all evening.
More on the second group appears on the avoid page, and dozens of similar verbs sit in action verbs.
Frequently asked questions
Another word for pursue a goal: which works best?
Work toward, aim for and strive for are the most natural. Work toward stresses steady steps, while strive for stresses effort against difficulty.
How can I say pursue a career more formally?
Build a career in, embark on a career in or develop a career in. Embark on suits the very start, and build suits someone already working.
Can I use chase instead of pursue?
Yes, in most informal writing. Chase sounds more urgent and energetic, so it suits dreams and deadlines but may feel too casual in an academic paper.
Is seek the same as pursue?
Seek means try to find or get, and it is often shorter in effort: seek advice. Pursue suggests a longer, more active effort over time.
What do you call the reverse of pursuing something?
Give up and abandon are the usual antonyms for goals. Flee and escape are the opposites when someone is being chased.
Which word is better than pursue on a resume?
Use the result instead: earned, completed or led. If the work is ongoing, write currently studying or working toward, followed by the qualification.