- [countable, usually singular] an act of looking for somebody/something that is difficult to find
- The hunt is on for a suitable candidate.
- hunt for somebody/something Hundreds have joined a police hunt for the missing teenager.
- on the hunt for somebody/something They have been on the hunt for a new chief executive since July.
- brides-to-be on the hunt for the perfect wedding dress
- a murder hunt (= to find the person who has killed somebody)
Extra Examples- Detectives leading the hunt for the killer believe he may be in hiding.
- Police are continuing their hunt for the arsonist.
- Police forces in five counties are now involved in the murder hunt.
- Police launched a nationwide hunt for the woman, amid fears for her safety.
- The hunt for survivors has now been called off.
- The hunt is on for potential employees with experience of electronic publishing.
- The mountain rescue team is stepping up its hunt for the missing climbers.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- massive
- nationwide
- police
- …
- begin
- launch
- continue
- …
- begin
- be on
- continue
- …
- hunt for
- [countable] (often in compounds) an act of going after wild animals to kill or capture them
- a tiger/seal hunt
- There was always a hunt on Boxing Day.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- bear
- fox
- seal
- …
- go on
- take part in
- follower
- supporter
- saboteur
- …
- [countable + singular or plural verb] (in the UK) a group of people who meet regularly to hunt foxes as a sport. Since 2005, instead of a fox, they follow a specially laid scent trail.
- There were several different hunts in the area.
- It was a cold morning but the hunt was/were out in force.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- bear
- fox
- seal
- …
- go on
- take part in
- follower
- supporter
- saboteur
- …
Word OriginOld English huntian, of Germanic origin.
Idioms
See hunt in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee hunt in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishbe in the hunt
- to have a chance of winning
- The team are back in the hunt for the league title.
- The Republican candidate is still in the hunt.
have a dog in the fight
(North American English also have a dog in the race/hunt)
- (informal) to be involved in a situation so that you will gain or lose according to the result
- I really don't have a dog in this fight, so I can just enjoy the game.
- The employees have a dog in the hunt, so their views should be listened to.
Check pronunciation:
hunt