sue

[ soo ]
See synonyms for sue on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),sued, su·ing.
  1. to institute a process in law against; bring a civil action against: to sue someone for damages.

  2. to woo or court.

  1. Obsolete. to make petition or appeal to.

verb (used without object),sued, su·ing.
  1. to institute legal proceedings, or bring suit: She threatened to sue.

  2. to make petition or appeal: to sue for peace.

  1. to court a woman.

Verb Phrases
  1. sue out, to make application for or apply for and obtain (a writ or the like) from a court of law.

Origin of sue

1
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English suen, siwen, from Old French sivre, from unattested Vulgar Latin sequere “to follow,” for Latin sequī

Other words for sue

Other words from sue

  • su·er, noun
  • un·sued, adjective

Other definitions for Sue (2 of 2)

Sue
[ soo; French sy ]

noun
  1. Eu·gène [œ-zhen], /œˈʒɛn/, Marie Joseph Sue, 1804–57, French novelist.

  2. a female given name, form of Susan, Susanna, Susannah.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sue in a sentence

  • Sues saucy, self-congratulatory toss of the head 14 stung her so that she could have cried out.

    Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline | Jennie M. Drinkwater
  • This is used whenever one sues to recover for some failure on the part of a person who has given a deed or other sealed writing.

  • The light sound of his wheels had died away before she espied Sues tall figure coming quickly towards her.

    Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline | Jennie M. Drinkwater
  • Dr. Greysons step was in the hall; Sues voice was less excited, her father was speaking quietly to her.

    Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline | Jennie M. Drinkwater
  • The boy-parson lays down the sanctity of the priesthood and rapturously sues for admission.

British Dictionary definitions for sue (1 of 2)

sue

/ (sjuː, suː) /


verbsues, suing or sued
  1. to institute legal proceedings (against)

  2. to make suppliant requests of (someone for something)

  1. archaic to pay court (to)

Origin of sue

1
C13: via Anglo-Norman from Old French sivre, from Latin sequī to follow

Derived forms of sue

  • suer, noun

British Dictionary definitions for Sue (2 of 2)

Sue

/ (French sy) /


noun
  1. Eugène (øʒɛn). original name Marie-Joseph Sue. 1804–57, French novelist, whose works, notably Les mystères de Paris (1842–43) and Le juif errant (1844–45), were among the first to reflect the impact of the industrial revolution on France

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012