探す

look for: 「探す」の意の最も一般的な語. 日常英語で用いられ, 必要な人･物･事を手に入れようとすることをいう

search: 人･物･事を求めてそれがあると思われる場所を注意深く探すことをいう. 手がかりを求めて人の表情をうかがう場合などにも用いられる. 求めている人･物･事自体はforの後に示すことに注意

seek: 〘かたく〙 で, 事･物を必死に見つけようとすることいい, 特に助け･情報について用いられる. 新聞･広告などで好まれる

SEEK, SEARCH, and HUNT mean to look for something.

SEEK may be used in looking for either material or mental things.

e.g. She's always seeking new friends.

e.g. I seek the truth.

SEARCH is used when looking for something in a very careful, thorough way.

e.g. We searched all over the house for the letter.

HUNT is used for a long pursuit.

e.g. I hunted all day for the right present.

source: Pinterest

verb (past and past participle sought |sôt| ) with object

attempt to find (something):

〈人が〉〈答え･仕事･場所など〉を探す, 探し求める; …を見つけ出そうとする (!新聞･広告などで好んで用いられる; 日常英語ではlook forの方が好まれる)

e.g. they came here to seek shelter from biting winter winds.

attempt or desire to obtain or achieve (something):

〈地位･利益など〉を手に入れようとする

e.g. the new regime sought his extradition

｟主に英･かたく｠ «…を» 捜す, 手に入れようとする, 求める «for, after» ; «…を» 詳しく調べる «through, into»

e.g. no object, with infinitive : her parents had never sought to interfere with her freedom.

ask for (something) from someone:

【人に】〈忠告･答えなど〉を求める, 要求する(ask for) «from»

e.g. he sought help from the police.

(seek someone/something out) search for and find someone or something:

｟かたく｠ (苦労して)A〈人･物〉を探し出す

e.g. it's his job to seek out new customers.

archaic go to (a place):

…へ自然に動く, 行く(go to)

e.g. I sought my bedroom each night to brood over it.

travel somewhere in the hope of achieving wealth and success.

to seek archaic

lacking; not yet found:

e.g. the end she knew, the means were to seek.

(far to seek) out of reach; a long way off.

Old English sēcan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zieken and German suchen, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin sagire ‘perceive by scent’.