unpursued

English

Etymology

From un- +‎ pursued.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈʌn.pəɹˌsjuːd/

Adjective

unpursued (not comparable)

Not pursued, not followed, not hounded.
- 1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 1-4:
  All night the dreadless Angel, unpursu’d,
  Through Heav’ns wide Champain held his way; till Morn,
  Wak’t by the circling Hours, with rosie hand
  Unbarr’d the gates of Light.
- 1740, Samuel Johnson, “Debate on incorporating the new-raised men into the standing regiments” in The Works of Samuel Johnson, London: John Stockdale, 1787, Vol. 12, Debates in Parliament, p. 62,^[1]
  At Guastalla, Sir, they attacked the French in their trenches, even with forces inferiour in number, so far were they from any diffidence in the form of their establishment; and after a fight of seven hours, in which their loss was, under all their disadvantages, not greater than that of their enemies, they retreated to their former camp unmolested and unpursued.
- 1888, Emily Lawless, chapter 8, in The Story Of Ireland‎^[2], New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, page 63:
  With doubtful patriotism he left the Danes for a while unpursued, attacked Meath, overran and wasted Connaught, and returning suddenly burnt the royal stronghold of Tara.
Not pursued, not sought, not engaged in.
- 1800, William Wordsworth, “The Old Cumberland Beggar”, in Lyrical Ballads‎^[3], 2nd edition, volume 2, London: Longman & Rees, pages 156–157:
  […] And thus the soul,
  By that sweet taste of pleasure unpursu’d
  Doth find itself insensibly dispos’d
  To virtue and true goodness.
- 1917, Rudyard Kipling, “The Fabulists”, in A Diversity of Creatures‎^[4], London: Macmillan, page 380:
  Our pleasures unpursued age past recall.