First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
sue
verb \ˈsü\
: to use a legal process by which you try to get a court of law to force a person, company, or organization that has treated you unfairly or hurt you in some way to give you something or to do something : to bring a lawsuit against someone or something
suedsu·ing
Full Definition of SUE
transitive verb
1
obsolete : to make petition to or for
2
archaic : to pay court or suit to : woo
3
a : to seek justice or right from (a person) by legal process; specifically : to bring an action against b : to proceed with and follow up (a legal action) to proper termination
intransitive verb
1
: to make a request or application : plead —usually used with for or to <sue for peace>
2
: to pay court : woo <he loved…but sued in vain — William Wordsworth>
3
: to take legal proceedings in court
— su·er noun
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Origin of SUE
Middle English sewen, siuen to follow, strive for, petition, from Anglo-French sivre, siure, from Vulgar Latin *sequere, from Latin sequi to follow; akin to Greek hepesthai to follow, Sanskrit sacate he accompanies
Rhymes with SUE
blue, boo, brew, chew, clew, clue, coo, coup, crew, cue, dew, do, doux, due, ewe, few, flu, flue, fou, glue, gnu, goo, hew, hue, Jew, Koo, lieu, loo, mew, moo, moue, mu, new, nu, ooh, pew, phew, pooh, q, queue, roux, rue, screw, shoe, shoo, shrew, Sioux, skew, slew, slough, slue, smew, sou, sous, spew, sprue, stew, strew, Sue, thew, through, to, too, true, two, u, view, whew, who, woo, xu, yew, you, zoo
Sue
biographical name \ˈsü, ˈsue\
Definition of SUE
Eugène 1804–1857 originally Marie-Joseph Sue Fr. nov.
Rhymes with SUE
blue, boo, brew, chew, clew, clue, coo, coup, crew, cue, dew, do, doux, due, ewe, few, flu, flue, fou, glue, gnu, goo, hew, hue, Jew, Koo, lieu, loo, mew, moo, moue, mu, new, nu, ooh, pew, phew, pooh, q, queue, roux, rue, screw, shoe, shoo, shrew, Sioux, skew, slew, slough, slue, smew, sou, sous, spew, sprue, stew, strew, sue, thew, through, to, too, true, two, u, view, whew, who, woo, xu, yew, you, zoo
SUE Defined for Kids
sue
verb \ˈsü\
suedsu·ing
Definition of SUE for Kids
: to seek justice or right by bringing legal action
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