stalk
To approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closerTo approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer.
» I didn't know who was stalking me.
Meaning
6 senses(transitive)To approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer.
sich anpirschen, sich anschleichen, sich heranschleichen
кра́сться заkrástʹsja za, подкра́дываться кpodkrádyvatʹsja k
(transitive)To (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment.ᵂᵖ
My ex-girlfriend is stalking me.
villages stalked by the threat of famine
stalken, nachstellen, nachschleichen
пресле́доватьpreslédovatʹ, ста́лкеритьstálkeritʹ
follow stealthily or recur constantly and spontaneously to
(intransitive)To walk slowly and cautiously; to walk in a stealthy, noiseless manner.
(intransitive)To walk behind something, such as a screen, for the purpose of approaching game; to proceed under cover.
(Internet, transitive)Of a person's social media activity: to look through thoroughly or obsessively; to keep tabs on, generally avoiding contact.
Coordinate term: lurk
(intransitive)To walk haughtily.
stolzieren, einherstolzieren, staksen
вышагиватьvyšagivatʹ
walk stiffly
Examples
141 sentencesI didn't know who was stalking me.
Tom didn't know who was stalking him.
Tom says that someone has been stalking him.
Tom says that somebody has been stalking him.
The last thing Tom needs is someone else stalking him.
Translations
8 languagesBy meaning 3
By meaning 3
Origin
From Middle English stalken, from Old English *stealcian (as in bestealcian (“to move steaFrom Middle English stalken, from Old English *stealcian (as in bestealcian (“to move stealthily”), stealcung (“stalking”)), from Proto-West Germanic *stalukōn, from Proto-Germanic *stalukōną (“to stalk, move stealthily”) (compare Dutch stelkeren, stolkeren (“to tip-toe, tread carefully”), Danish stalke (“to high step, stalk”), Norwegian dialectal stalka (“to trudge”)), from *stalkaz, *stelkaz (compare Old English stealc (“steep”), Old Norse stelkr, stjalkr (“knot (bird), red sandpiper”)), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)telg, *(s)tolg- (compare Middle Irish tolg (“strength”), Lithuanian stalgùs (“stiff, defiant, proud”)).
Attested 1530 in the sense "to walk haughtily", perhaps from Old English stealc (“steep”), from Proto-Germanic *stelkaz, *stalkaz (“high, lofty, steep, stiff”); see above.
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Forms
stalks, stalking, stalked, stalkedSynonyms
1 synonyms- follow stealthily or recur constantly and spontaneously to:haunt
Word family
2 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle