quest

KWEST/kwɛst/

Pluralquests

Verbquests, questing, quested

10 meanings of quest

Practice

1
nouncountable
A long and difficult journey or effort to reach an important goal.
Like a big adventure where you must travel far to find something important.
She set out on a quest to find her missing brother.
Their quest for clean water took years of hard work.
Similarmission, crusade, journey, expedition, odyssey
Note
2
nouncountable
In a video game, a task a player does to earn a reward or move the story forward.
Like a to-do task in a game that gives you a prize when you finish it.
I finished the quest and got a new sword.
This quest sends you to defeat the dragon in the cave.
Similarmission, task
Note
3
nouncountable
The act of looking for or trying to find something.
Like searching the whole house for your lost keys.
The quest for the truth led her through old records.
Their quest for answers never stopped.
Similarsearch, pursuit, hunt, bid
Note
4
verbintransitive
To go after a goal or take on an important job.
Like setting off to chase a big dream.
Young knights would quest for years before returning home.
She quested across the land in search of meaning.
Similarsearch, journey, strive
5
verbtransitive
To look for or try to find something.
Like hunting for a hidden prize.
Adventurers quest hidden treasure deep in the jungle.
She quested the answer for many years.
Similarseek, pursue, hunt
Note
6
nouncountable
A short test given to students in class.
I got eight out of ten questions right on today's quest.
The teacher gave a quick quest before lunch.
Similarquiz, test
Note
7
verbintransitive
Of a tick or similar bug, to find and grab onto an animal to feed.
Like a hitchhiker waiting by the road to grab a ride.
Ticks quest by climbing grass and waiting for an animal to pass.
The tiny mite quested onto the dog's fur within seconds.
Note

Less common meanings

8
nounobsolete
A request, or a strong wish for something.
Like asking someone for a favor you really want.
The widow made her quest to the king for mercy.
Gad not abroad at every quest and call / Of an untrained hope or passion.
[1633], George Herbert, The Temple. Sacred PoemsHere, quest means a request or call, an urge from hope or passion.
Note
9
nounobsolete
A group of people who carry out a search or inquiry.
Like a search party sent out to find someone.
The sheriff sent a quest to search the woods for the missing man.
The senate hath sent about three several quests to search you out.
c. 1603, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”Here, quests means groups of people sent out to search.
Note
10
nounobsolete
A jury that investigates a death or a crime.
Like a group chosen to decide how someone died.
The quest ruled that the death was an accident.
Twelve men sat on the quest to judge the cause of death.
Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of quest apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–5, 7–10

From Latin 'quaerere', meaning 'to ask' or 'to seek', which came into English through Old French and Anglo-Norman 'queste' (search, hunt).

Meaning 6

A blend of 'quiz' and 'test', made to avoid using the word 'test'.