(1) ①search是“搜寻，搜查”的意思，常用的形式为：search (sb./sth.) for (sth./sb.), search sth. out, search through。
- I searched through all the drawers for the missing papers.
我搜遍了所有的抽屉，寻找丢失的文件。 - The police searched the town for the escaped criminal.
警察搜遍了小城寻找逃犯。
②可用于引申意义。
- I have searched my memory but can't remember where I've put it.
我在记忆中努力搜索，但仍记不起把它放哪儿了。 - I've searched my conscience/heart and I still think I did the right thing.
我扪心自问，我仍然认为我所做的没有错。
(2) search for意思是“到处寻找”。
- Scientists have been searching for that answer for centuries.
几个世纪以来，科学家们一直在寻找这一答案。 - We searched for a good place to put up our tent.
我们四处寻找，想找一个好地方来搭建帐篷。
(3) search out是“找到”。
- The lawyer searched out the weaknesses in the witness's statement.
律师在证人的陈述中找到了破绽。
(4) look for是一般用词，表示“寻找”，在这些短语中是最常用的(另见locate条)。
- He began immediately to look for another position.
他立即开始寻找另一个职位。 - We are looking about/around for a new house.
我们正在打听/寻找一所新房子。
(5) look out可表示“查出，找出”。
- Would you please look me out a book on American literature?
请你为我查找出一本关于美国文学的书，好吗？ - I'll look out some beautiful foreign stamps for you.
我将为你找出一些漂亮的外国邮票。
(6) look out for也可表示“寻找，留心找”。
- Please look out for the mistakes in the manuscript and correct them.
请找出手稿中的错误并予以更正。
(7) feel for是“摸着找(某物)”，特别是在黑暗中。
- I felt for the electric light switch on the wall and turned it on.
我摸索着寻找墙上的电灯开关，并把它打开。 - I felt in my pocket for the key but couldn't find it.
我在口袋里摸钥匙，但是没能找到。
(8) hunt(for) 表示“搜捕，猎捕，寻找”，hunt可以是及物动词，也可是不及物动词。
- Police are hunting (for) an escaped convict in the village.
警察在村子里搜捕一名逃犯。 - Indians hunted the prairie for buffalo.
印第安人在草原上猎捕水牛。 - He has been hunting for work for the last week.
过去一周里他一直在找工作。
(9) hunt down表示“找到，追捕，捕获”。
- The escaped prisoner was hunted down by the police.
那名逃犯被警察抓获。 - He set himself to hunt down that scoundrel and avenge the death of his father upon him.
他决心找到那个恶棍，为他父亲的死报仇。
(10) hunt high and low for的意思是“到处找；四处寻觅”。
- The parents are hunting high and low for their missing child.
父母在四处寻觅他们失踪的孩子。
(11) hunt out意为“找出来”。
- I have hunted out the teachers' book of College English for you.
我已为你找出《大学英语》教师用书。 - She hunted out the children's old clothes to give to that poor boy.
她找出孩子的破旧衣物送给了那个可怜的男孩。
(12) fish for意思是“找寻，设法找到”。
- She opened her purse and began fishing for her lipstick.
她打开钱包，开始找寻口红。 - Now I saw what he was driving at — he was fishing for a loan.
现在我明白他的用意了，他是在设法弄到一笔贷款。
(13) fish out表示“捞起来，掏出来，找出来”。
- He fished out a piece of string from his bag.
他从包里掏出一根绳子。 - She fished out an old coat from the wardrobe.
她从衣橱里找出一件旧上衣。
(14) scour for中的scour可用作及物动词，后接地点宾语，也可作不及物动词，意思是“走遍(某地)寻找(某人或某物)”。
- The men scoured the town for the lost child.
这些人走遍城里寻找这个丢失的小孩。 - The police scoured about for the murderer.
警察四处搜寻那个杀人犯。
(15) scout for中的scout本意是“侦察”，与for连用表示“寻找、搜寻”。
- You two go and scout for firewood for the picnic.
你们两人去为野炊找些木柴来。
(16) scout about/around for意思是“到处找”。
- I'll scout about for a good place to eat.
我要去找一个吃饭的好地方。
(17) quest for意为“寻找”，尤指狗，也可指人“到处找；努力找”，特别是寻找珍贵之物，此用法较正式，也较陈旧。
- For over 100 years, men have been questing for gold in the hills.
100多年来，人们一直在小山里寻找金子。 - Noble men of old used to quest for the holy cup used by Christ at His last meal.
心地高尚的长者曾设法寻找基督在最后的晚餐时使用过的圣杯。
(18) seek after意为“追求，谋求，设法得到，寻求”，常用于抽象之物，如名誉(fame)、安逸(comfort)、利益(gains)，或用于具体物品，是较为正式的用法。seek本身可用作及物动词，表示“征求(意见等)，寻求，谋求，追求”，如：seek opportunities/advice/aid/one's fortune/shelter/information/fame and fortune/opinion/recognition等。
- Most men seek wealth; all men seek happiness.
多数人追求财富，所有的人都追求幸福。 - Are you seeking a quarrel?
你在找架吵吗？ - He that seeks trouble never misses.
〈谚〉只要想找麻烦就会有麻烦。 - Early editions of Shakespeare's plays are much sought after by collectors.
莎士比亚戏剧的早期版本为收藏者搜而求之。 - We'll spare no expense or effort to seek after the truth in the matter.
我们将不遗余力、不惜一切代价来查出这一事件的真相。
(19) seek for意为“寻求，寻找”，也是较为正式的旧用法。
- He put the papers into his pocket, and sought for another topic of conversation.
他把文件放入口袋，寻找另一个话题进行交谈。 - He determined to seek for a house more suited to their needs.
他决心寻找一所更适合他们需要的房屋。
