搜寻 (sōu xún) is a compound verb meaning 'to search for' or 'to seek out' something deliberately and often thoroughly. The first character 搜 (sōu) means 'to search, to comb through', implying active scanning or rummaging; the second character 寻 (xún) means 'to look for, to seek', adding intentionality and purpose. Together, they emphasize a focused, methodical effort—not just casual looking, but an organized attempt to locate something specific, such as missing items, information, or living beings.

This word is commonly used in both literal and figurative contexts: police may 搜寻 suspects, researchers 搜寻 evidence, and conservationists 搜寻 endangered animals in remote habitats. It carries a neutral-to-formal register and appears frequently in news reports, official statements, and descriptive writing—but rarely in casual spoken Chinese, where simpler verbs like 找 (zhǎo) are preferred. It’s often followed by a direct object (e.g., 搜寻线索, 搜寻食物) and can be modified by adverbs like 仔细地 (carefully) or 大规模地 (on a large scale).