The Meaning of Quest: What It Is and How To Use It

Have you ever wondered about the definition of quest? This article will provide you with all of the info you need on the word quest, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word quest mean?

According to Collins English Dictionary and the American Heritage Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, The word quest can either be used as a noun or a verb. As a noun, the word quest means some expedition or search for something. This usually involves a long and arduous journey. The word quest can also refer to the object of such a search. Quest is also used as a verb to mean to search for or pursue something. 

Oftentimes, tales of quests are about the pursuance of fame or a specific mission or an object of a quest that has supernatural properties. The moral of a quest tale is often the changed character of the hero from the beginning to the end of the story. It was not what the hero found on the human quest that was so important, but the lesson they learned along the way. The word serves many religious purposes in religious stories from many a different ethnic culture. These fiction mythology stories are part of the folklore of every nation, with the protagonist playing the part of the hero that has come commentary of the meaning of life via the object of a search. Many of these use the same plot device nby the storyteller and lay claim to the hero’s journey. The hero will go through great exertion to showcase the aspect of travel in the quest. They will have obstacles, much travel, and difficult effort in pursuit of the noble goal of fortune on the chivalric journey.

Many different languages also contain words that mean quest. You may notice that some of these translations of quest look similar to one another. These are called cognates, which are often formed when two words have the same root or language of origin. This list of translations of quest is provided by Word Sense

  •  Belarusian: пошук‎
  •  Galician: busca‎ (fem.), procura‎ (fem.)
  •  Dutch: queeste‎ (fem.) (dated), zoektocht‎ (masc.), streeftocht‎ (masc.)
  •  French: quête‎ (fem.)
  •  Russian: по́иск‎ (masc.), поиск‎
  •  Italian: ricerca‎ (fem.)
  •  Greek: αναζήτηση‎ (fem.)
  •  Swedish: resa‎ (common), uppdrag‎ (neut.), mål‎ (neut.), strävan‎ (common)
  •  Japanese: 探索‎ (たんさく, tansaku), 探求‎ (たんきゅう, tankyū)
  •  Latin: indagatio‎ (fem.), investigatio‎ (fem.), inquisitio‎ (fem.), scrutatio‎ (fem.), scrutatio‎ (fem.)
  •  Spanish: búsqueda‎ (fem.)
  •  Scottish Gaelic: sireadh‎ (masc.)
  •  Hindi: फ़िराक़‎ (firaaq)
  •  Portuguese: busca‎ (fem.)
  •  Czech: výprava‎ (fem.)
  •  Mandarin: 探索‎ (tànsuǒ), 尋求‎, 寻求‎ (xúnqiú)
  •  Finnish: etsintä‎
  •  Polish: poszukiwanie‎ (neut.), poszukiwania‎ (pl.)
  •  German: Suche‎ (fem.), Queste‎ (fem.)

What is the origin of the word quest?

According to Etymonline, the word quest has been sued to mean an inquest or judicial inquiry since 1300, and more generally to refer to a search since early c14 Middle English. This comes from the Old French queste and Medieval Latin questa. This comes from the feminine past participle of quaerere, the Latin quaestus and Latin quaesta as well as the Latin quaesita. 

What are synonyms and antonyms of quest?

There are many different words that a person can choose to use in place of the word quest. These are called synonyms, which are words that have the same meaning as the word quest. Synonyms are useful words to learn if you are trying not to repeat yourself or if you are trying to expand your English language vocabulary. This list of synonyms of quest is provided by Power Thesaurus.

  •  pursue
  •  adventure
  •  bay
  •  search out
  •  seek
  •  pursuing
  •  find
  •  task
  •  pursuance
  •  enterprise
  •  research
  •  rummage
  •  hunt
  •  bespeak
  •  inquisition
  •  seek out
  •  inquest
  •  chase down
  •  ferret out
  •  prosecution
  •  trek
  •  undertaking
  •  hunting
  •  searches
  •  probe
  •  pilgrimage
  •  hunt for
  •  look
  •  odyssey
  •  inquiry
  •  gun for
  •  study
  •  finding
  •  search
  •  mission
  •  voyage
  •  crusade
  •  search for
  •  investigation
  •  request
  •  chase
  •  pursuit
  •  emprise
  •  exploration
  •  seeking
  •  manhunt
  •  expedition
  •  cast about
  •  searching
  •  journey

There are also a number of words that have the opposite meaning as quest. These opposite words are called antonyms, which are another great tool used to expand your vocabulary. This list of antonyms of quest is also provided by Power Thesaurus

  •  get loose
  •  escape
  •  conceal oneself
  •  small trip
  •  cover
  •  day trip
  •  predators
  •  ignorance
  •  solve the puzzle
  •  go to ground
  •  elope
  •  retreat
  •  hide
  •  take cover
  •  run away
  •  do a bunk
  •  cut loose
  •  scurry away
  •  insist
  •  be in hiding
  •  hiding
  •  boil over
  •  bolt
  •  lie snug
  •  go into hiding
  •  seeking refuge
  •  whip away
  •  be concealed
  •  sequester oneself
  •  lie up
  •  ignore
  •  levant
  •  short trip
  •  diktat

How can the word quest be used in a sentence?

The word quest can be used in many different sentences in the English language. Using words in a sentence is a great way to memorize their definition. You can also try making quizzes or flashcards for yourself to memorize different definitions and test your knowledge. Try using this word of the day in the sentence today. Below are a couple of examples of the word quest to get you started. 

They were grateful to find a hotel in the exotic locations on their arduous quest across Europe, but few of them had room service or even an extra bed. 

The hero of the story went on a quest to receive the treasure of the king – the Holy Grail. On her way, she teamed up with a lost child and the company of knights, and they completed the adventurous expedition and the prescribed task. 

She ran from the hounds and the argonauts in the middle of her quest for medieval romance, stopping at nothing to achieve her goal.

Overall, the quest means the pursuit of a game in search of a particular object, usually requiring a difficult journey or trail. The moral of a quest tale usually relates to the meaning of life. 

Sources:

  1. quest: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense 
  2. Quest synonyms – 924 Words and Phrases for Quest | Power Thesaurus 
  3. Quest antonyms – 34 Opposites of Quest | Power Thesaurus 
  4. quest | Origin and meaning of quest | Online Etymology Dictionary 
  5. Quest definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary