Meanings
verbexplore (third-person singular simple present explores, present participle exploring, simple past and past participle explored)
present singular third person explores · participle present exploring · participle past explored · past explored
- intransitiveobsoleteTo seek for something or after someone.
- transitiveTo examine or investigate something systematically.
The committee has been exploring alternative solutions to the problem at hand.
1 more example
Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola. A recent study explored the ecological variables that may contribute to bats’ propensity to harbor such zoonotic diseases by comparing them with another order of common reservoir hosts: rodents.
2013 May-June, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 193Synonyms: delve into, research
- intransitivemedicineTo examine diagnostically.
- transitiveTo (seek) experience first hand.
It is normal for a boy of this age to be exploring his sexuality.
- intransitiveTo be engaged exploring in any of the above senses.
He was too busy exploring to notice his son needed his guidance.
- intransitiveTo wander without any particular aim or purpose.
The boys explored all around till cold and hunger drove them back to the campfire one by one.
1 more example
They stayed together during three dances, went out on to the terrace, explored wherever they were permitted to explore, paid two visits to the buffet, and enjoyed themselves much in the same way as if they had been school-children surreptitiously breaking loose from an assembly of grown-ups.
1909 September 9, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], “A Court Ball”, in The Squire’s Daughter, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC, page 9 - transitiveTo seek sexual variety, to sow one's wild oats.
nounexplore (plural explores)
plural explores
- colloquialAn exploration; a tour of a place to see what it is like.
Daylight was fading quickly, but I was still keen to have a little explore of the town and beach.
2008, John Watters, Bonza Voyage
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo examine or investigate something systematically.
Similar
delve intoresearch
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰ
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰs
- Proto-Italic*eks
- Latinex
- Latinex-
- Latinplōrō
- Latinexplōrō
- Middle Frenchexplorer
- Englishexplore
From Middle French explorer, from Latin explōrāre (“to investigate, search out”), itself said to be originally a hunters' term meaning "to set up a loud cry", from ex- (“out”) + plōrāre (“to cry”), but the second element is also explained as "to make to flow" (from pluere (“to flow”)). Displaced native Old English rāsian.
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic اِسْتَكْشَفَ
- اِسْتَكْشَفَ (istakšafa)to examine or investigate something systematically
Bulgarian изсле́двам, изследвам
- изсле́двам (izslédvam)to examine or investigate something systematically
- изследвам (izsledvam)to travel somewhere in search of discovery
- прегле́ждам (pregléždam)to examine diagnostically
- изуча́вам (izučávam)to (seek) experience first hand
Catalan explorar, explorar
- explorarto examine or investigate something systematically
- explorarto travel somewhere in search of discovery
- explorarto examine diagnostically
- explorarto (seek) experience first hand
- explorarto be engaged exploring in any of the above senses
Chinese Mandarin 探索, 探險 /探险
- 探索 (tànsuǒ)to examine or investigate something systematically
- 探險 /探险 (tànxiǎn)to examine or investigate something systematically
Czech zkoumat, prozkoumat
- zkoumatto examine or investigate something systematically
- prozkoumatto examine or investigate something systematically
- bádatto examine or investigate something systematically
- probádatto examine or investigate something systematically
Danish udforske, undersøge
- udforsketo examine or investigate something systematically
- undersøgeto examine or investigate something systematically
- udforsketo travel somewhere in search of discovery
- tage på opdagelsesrejseto travel somewhere in search of discovery
- undersøgeto examine diagnostically
- eksplorereto examine diagnostically
- udforsketo (seek) experience first hand
Dutch onderzoeken, bestuderen
- onderzoekento examine or investigate something systematically
- bestuderento examine or investigate something systematically
- navorsento examine or investigate something systematically
- explorerento examine or investigate something systematically
- napluizento examine or investigate something systematically
- uitpluizento examine or investigate something systematically
- uitzoekento examine or investigate something systematically
- aftastento examine or investigate something systematically
- verkennento travel somewhere in search of discovery
- explorerento travel somewhere in search of discovery
- op/een ontdekkingsreis gaan naar/maken into travel somewhere in search of discovery
- diagnosticerento examine diagnostically
Esperanto esplori
- esplorito examine or investigate something systematically
Finnish tutkia, tutkia
- tutkiato examine or investigate something systematically
- tutkiato travel somewhere in search of discovery
- tutkiato examine diagnostically
- kokeillato (seek) experience first hand
- tutkiato (seek) experience first hand
- tutkiato be engaged exploring in any of the above senses
- kokeillato be engaged exploring in any of the above senses
French explorer, explorer
- explorerto examine or investigate something systematically
- explorerto travel somewhere in search of discovery
- explorerto (seek) experience first hand
German erforschen, erforschen
- erforschento examine or investigate something systematically
- erforschento travel somewhere in search of discovery
- untersuchento examine diagnostically
- erforschento (seek) experience first hand
Greek εξερευνώ
- εξερευνώ (exerevnó)to examine or investigate something systematically
Hebrew חיפש, חיפש לברר
- חיפש (khipés)to examine or investigate something systematically
- חיפש לברר (khipés l'varér)to examine or investigate something systematically
- חקר (khakár)to examine or investigate something systematically
- בדק (badák)to examine or investigate something systematically
- התעמק (hit'amék)to examine or investigate something systematically
- התעסק (hit'asék)to examine or investigate something systematically
- חקר (khakár)to travel somewhere in search of discovery
- תר (tar)to travel somewhere in search of discovery
- התנסה (hitnasá)to (seek) experience first hand
Hindi अन्वेषण करना
- अन्वेषण करना (anveṣaṇ karnā)to examine or investigate something systematically
Hungarian megvizsgál, kutat
- megvizsgálto examine or investigate something systematically
- kutatto examine or investigate something systematically
- felfedezto travel somewhere in search of discovery
- kalandozikto travel somewhere in search of discovery
- megvizsgálto examine diagnostically
- felfedezto (seek) experience first hand
Indonesian eksplorasi
- eksplorasito examine or investigate something systematically
Italian esplorare, investigare
- esplorareto examine or investigate something systematically
- investigareto examine or investigate something systematically
- indagareto examine or investigate something systematically
- analizzareto examine or investigate something systematically
- sondareto examine or investigate something systematically
- esplorareto travel somewhere in search of discovery
- esplorareto examine diagnostically
- investigareto examine diagnostically
- indagareto examine diagnostically
- esplorareto (seek) experience first hand
- esplorareto be engaged exploring in any of the above senses
- vagareto be engaged exploring in any of the above senses
Japanese 探検する, 探る
- 探検する (tanken suru)to examine or investigate something systematically
- 探る (saguru)to travel somewhere in search of discovery
Korean 탐험하다
- 탐험하다 (tamheomhada)to examine or investigate something systematically
Latin speculor, explōrō
- speculorto examine or investigate something systematically
- explōrōto travel somewhere in search of discovery
Malay teroka
- terokato travel somewhere in search of discovery
Māori whakatōmene, hōpara
- whakatōmeneto examine or investigate something systematically
- hōparato examine or investigate something systematically
- tōmeneto examine or investigate something systematically
- hōparato travel somewhere in search of discovery
- whakatōmeneto travel somewhere in search of discovery
- torohēto travel somewhere in search of discovery
Norwegian Bokmål utforske
- utforsketo examine or investigate something systematically
Persian کاوش کردن, اکتشاف کردن
- کاوش کردن (kâvoš kardan)to examine or investigate something systematically
- اکتشاف کردن (ektešâf kardan)to examine or investigate something systematically
Polish badać, zbadać
- badaćto examine or investigate something systematically
- zbadaćto examine or investigate something systematically
Portuguese explorar, explorar
- explorarto examine or investigate something systematically
- explorarto travel somewhere in search of discovery
- examinarto examine diagnostically
- explorarto (seek) experience first hand
Romanian a explora
- a explorato examine or investigate something systematically
Russian иссле́довать, иссле́довать
- иссле́довать (isslédovatʹ)to examine or investigate something systematically
- иссле́довать (isslédovatʹ)to travel somewhere in search of discovery
- осма́тривать (osmátrivatʹ)to examine diagnostically
- осмотре́ть (osmotrétʹ)to examine diagnostically
- изуча́ть (izučátʹ)to (seek) experience first hand
- изучи́ть (izučítʹ)to (seek) experience first hand
Slovak skúmať, preskúmať
- skúmaťto examine or investigate something systematically
- preskúmaťto examine or investigate something systematically
- bádaťto examine or investigate something systematically
- prebádaťto examine or investigate something systematically
Spanish explorar, explorar
- explorarto examine or investigate something systematically
- explorarto travel somewhere in search of discovery
Swedish utforska, utforska
- utforskato examine or investigate something systematically
- utforskato travel somewhere in search of discovery
Thai สำรวจ
- สำรวจ (sǎm-rùuat)to examine or investigate something systematically
Turkish araştırmak, keşfetmek
- araştırmakto examine or investigate something systematically
- keşfetmekto travel somewhere in search of discovery
- muayene etmekto examine diagnostically
- incelemekto (seek) experience first hand
- tetkik etmekto (seek) experience first hand
Ukrainian дослі́джувати, досліди́ти
- дослі́джувати (doslídžuvaty)to examine or investigate something systematically
- досліди́ти (doslidýty)to examine or investigate something systematically
Vietnamese thám hiểm, khám phá
- thám hiểmto examine or investigate something systematically
- khám pháto travel somewhere in search of discovery
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with explore
fororyourmorestorebeforefourwarsuretourmaturethereforeensureflooroutdoorcorepoorhardcorenorpureMoorehorrorpourignore
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
explore. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/explore
MLA
“explore.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/explore. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “explore,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/explore.
Source: explore on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.