sue

verb

SaySOO/su/UK/suː/

Formssues, suing, sued

6 meanings of sue

1
verbtransitive
To take someone to court to get money or to settle a problem.
Like asking a judge to settle an argument by the rules instead of fighting it out.
If they break the contract, you can sue them.
She sued the company after losing her job.
Note
2
verbtransitive or intransitive
To ask for something seriously and formally, such as peace or mercy.
Like asking politely but very seriously for something you badly need.
After heavy losses, the army began to sue for peace.
They sued for mercy from the king.
Similarplead, petition, appeal, beg
Note
3
verbobsoletetransitive
To try to win someone's love or affection.
Note
4
verbtransitive
Of a hawk, to clean its beak by wiping it on something.
Like wiping your mouth clean after a meal.
After eating, the falcon will sue its beak on the glove.
The hawk sued its beak against the perch.
Note
5
verbtransitive
To leave a boat stuck on land when the water goes down.
Like a toy boat left on wet sand when the wave goes back out.
The falling tide will sue the small boats along the mud.
Low water sued the barge until the next high tide.
Similarstrand, ground
Note

Less common meaning

6
verbobsoletetransitive
To go after or follow someone or something.
And the olde knyght seyde unto the yonge knyght, ‘Sir, swith me.’
1470, Thomas Malory, “Capitulum iv”Here, swith means follow or come after.
though oft looking backward, well she vewd, / Her selfe freed from that foster insolent, / And that it was a knight, which now her sewd, / Yet she no lesse the knight feard, then that villein rude.
1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie QueeneHere, sewd means followed or went after her.
Note

Practice

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Origin

It came through Middle English from Anglo-Norman and Old French words meaning "to follow," which came from Latin sequi, "to follow."