You can picture 'pursue' as following hard after something to catch it — running behind a person or thing, staying on its trail, meaning to it. Every other use keeps that image of steadily going after a target, even when the target is a goal or an idea rather than a runner.
From the word’s history
From Old French poursuir, from Vulgar Latin *prosequare, from Latin prosequi 'to follow after, chase', from pro- 'forward' + sequi 'to follow'. The oldest sense is literally following after with intent to overtake — the chase — which is still the core the abstract senses grow from.
源自古法文 poursuir，再上溯到拉丁文 prosequi（跟在後面追），由 pro-（向前）加 sequi（跟隨）組成。最古老的意思就是「帶著要追上的心一路跟在後面」——也就是「追」；今天那些抽象用法，全都是從這個追趕的核心長出來的。
etymonline.com/word/pursue (Online Etymology Dictionary)
登入就可以看每一支怎麼連回核心畫面。
原始詞典資料7 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
pursueverb/pəˈsjuː/
- 1
To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase.
- pursue one's dreams
- The wicked flee when no man purſueth: but the righteous are bolde as a lyon.
- 2
To follow, travel down (a particular way, course of action etc.).
- Her rival pursued a quite different course.
- 3
To aim for, go after (a specified objective, situation etc.).
- He even stands to gain in world terms: his noisy critics strengthen his projected image of a man determined to pursue peace with Palestinians.
- 4
To participate in (an activity, business etc.); to practise, follow (a profession).
- The Kedarites are depicted as herders of sheep and goats who pursued a seminomadic existence and lived scattered over a wide area of the desert region east of the land of Israel.
- 5
To urge (someone or something) to act in a particular way.
- The mayor promised to pursue the city to be an Olympic sports venue.
- 6
To act as a legal prosecutor.
- 7
archaicTo continue; to carry on.
- 'Allow me, great king,' pursued the Demon, in a dry tone of voice, 'to wish you joy […]
摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。