# forage

/ˈfɔɹɪdʒ/ (US) · /fˈɒɹɪdʒ/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/forage
Updated: 2026-05-08

## Definition

to search widely for food or other useful things. You use this when animals look for food in the wild or when people search for items they need.

For teachers: to search widely for food or provisions; to scavenge or hunt for resources. Often used in biological contexts to describe animal behavior or in human contexts for searching through discarded materials.

## Examples

- The bears forage for berries in the forest.
- During the winter months, deer often forage in suburban gardens because their natural food sources are buried under snow.
- The survivalist spent the afternoon teaching the group how to forage for edible mushrooms and wild garlic while avoiding toxic lookalikes found in the same damp soil.

## Pitfalls

- Not "They forage food in the woods." but "They forage for food in the woods." — When the object is the item being sought rather than the location, the verb requires the preposition 'for'.

## Usage notes

- Intransitive when describing the general act; transitive when the object is the place being searched. Frequently takes the preposition 'for'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.