hunt

1 of 2

verb

ˈhənt How to pronounce hunt (audio)
hunted; hunting; hunts
Synonyms of huntnext

transitive verb

1
a
: to pursue for food or in sport
hunt buffalo
b
: to manage in the search for game
hunts a pack of dogs
2
a
: to pursue with intent to capture
hunted the escapees
b
: to search out : seek
3
: to drive or chase especially by harrying
Members … were hunted from their homes …—J. T. Adams
4
: to traverse in search of prey
hunts the woods

intransitive verb

1
: to take part in a hunt
2
: to attempt to find something
3
: to oscillate alternately to each side (as of a neutral point) or to run alternately faster and slower
—used especially of a device or machine

hunt

2 of 2

noun

1
: the act, the practice, or an instance of hunting
2
: a group of mounted hunters and their hunting dogs

Synonyms of hunt

Relevance

Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of hunt in a Sentence

Verb The wolf was hunting its prey. These birds have been hunted almost to extinction. a gun used for hunting squirrels He likes to hunt and fish. She hunted around in the closet for a pair of shoes. Police hunted the escaped prisoners through several states. Noun They went on a hunt. We finally found a good restaurant after a long hunt.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The species, native to Western Europe and Africa, has few predators, aggressively hunts its prey, and can consume a wide variety of shellfish, including oysters, clams, mussels, lobsters, and other crabs. — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026 Anxiety and suspicion about robot infiltrators are everywhere — and so are people claiming to hunt the robots down. — T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
Meanwhile, many of the coaches Cohen would probably consider in his stead will have their teams in the playoff hunt through December and even January. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026 For the shame and regret are unbearable, and maybe there’s a way out, like at Nana’s, when everyone played that game, the hunt for the hidden key. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hunt

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English huntian; akin to Old English hentan to seize

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hunt was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing hunt

Rhymes for hunt

See All Rhymes for hunt

Browse Nearby Words

Hunnish
hunt
Hunt
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hunt. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

hunt

1 of 2 verb
ˈhənt How to pronounce hunt (audio)
1
a
: to seek out and chase (game) for food or sport
hunt squirrel
b
: to use in hunting game
hunts a pack of dogs
2
a
: to chase in order to capture
b
: to search out : look for : seek
hunting for my gloves
3
: to drive or chase especially by repeated attacks
hunt a criminal out of town
4
: to search through looking for prey
hunts the woods

hunt

2 of 2 noun
1
: the action, the practice, or an instance of hunting
2
: a group of hunters
especially : a group of hunters on horseback and their hunting dogs

Geographical Definition

Huntingdon

geographical name

Hun·​ting·​don ˈhən-tiŋ-dən How to pronounce Huntingdon (audio)
1
or Huntingdonshire
ˈhən-tiŋ-dən-ˌshir How to pronounce Huntingdon (audio)  
-shər
 or Huntingdon and Peterborough
ˈpē-tər-ˌbər-ō How to pronounce Huntingdon (audio)
or Hunts
ˈhənts How to pronounce Huntingdon (audio)
former county of east central England; capital Huntingdon; since 1974 part of Cambridgeshire
2
town in Cambridgeshire, east central England

Biographical Definition

Hunt 1 of 3

biographical name (1)

ˈhənt How to pronounce Hunt (audio)
(James Henry) Leigh 1784–1859 English writer

Hunt

2 of 3

biographical name (2)

Sir R(ichard) Timothy 1943–     British molecular biologist

Hunt

3 of 3

biographical name (3)

(William) Hol*man ˈhōl-mən How to pronounce Hunt (audio) 1827–1910 English painter
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