1 B2 informal
To find information, a reference, or a specific item through deliberate searching.
"Can you hunt up that statistic we used in last year's report?"
separable
hunt up
B2 informal separable transitive
To find or locate someone or something through deliberate and sometimes effortful searching.
In plain English
Search until you find something or someone — often with some effort involved.
What does "hunt up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 informal
To find or contact a person who is difficult to locate.
"I managed to hunt up an old colleague who knew the answer to my question."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To hunt (search) and bring something up — retrieve it.
Actually means
Search until you find something or someone — often with some effort involved.
Usage tip
Slightly old-fashioned but still in use. More common in American English. Similar to 'hunt out' but 'hunt up' often implies the challenge of locating something or someone who isn't immediately accessible. Can be used of people as well as objects.
Words that pair with "hunt up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
information contact reference address example evidence
How to conjugate "hunt up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
hunt up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hunts up
he/she/it
Past simple
hunted up
yesterday
Past participle
hunted up
have + pp
-ing form
hunting up
continuous
Hear "hunt up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "hunt up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "hunt up"
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