chased

Chased is the past tense and past participle of the verb chase. It refers to the act of pursuing someone or something, often with the goal of catching or overtaking. The word can describe active pursuit in sentences like "The dog chased the cat," or a passive situation in "The suspect was chased by the police." As an adjective, it can describe something that has been pursued or forced to flee, as in "a chased animal" or "chased leaves in the wind."

Etymology and form: The verb chase comes from Old French chasser, meaning to hunt, with further development in Middle English. The past tense is regular, formed by adding -ed to the base form: chase → chased. The present participle is chasing, and the past participle is also chased.

Usage: Chased is common in both spoken and written language. It appears in narratives of pursuit, law enforcement, sports, and metaphorical contexts such as "chasing a dream" or "chased by deadlines." Prefixed phrases such as "chase down" emphasize completing the pursuit or locating something, and "chase after" emphasizes ongoing pursuit.

Examples:

- The dog chased the squirrel across the yard.

- The cavalry chased the retreating army.

- She chased her dreams despite the obstacles.