MEANING
To follow or approach someone stealthily, often as a predator, or repeatedly harass them through unwanted pursuit.
Use it for
A pursuer closing distance unnoticed; recurring unwanted surveillance; predation before contactKeep the quarry in focus so concealment has a purpose.
Words that belong together
- stalk prey
- stalk a victim
- stalk through cover
On the page
The creature stalked the workers beyond the lights.
Someone had been stalking her for weeks.
She realized the animal was stalking them rather than fleeing.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- stalk / stalks
- Past tense
- stalked
- Past participle
- stalked
- Present participle
- stalking
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- stalk / stalks
- Present continuous
- am/is/are stalking
- Present perfect
- have/has stalked
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been stalking
- Past
- stalked
- Past continuous
- was/were stalking
- Past perfect
- had stalked
- Past perfect continuous
- had been stalking
- Future
- will stalk / stalks
- Future continuous
- will be stalking
- Future perfect
- will have stalked
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been stalking
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: horror. The predatory and harassment senses are both serious; not simply walking behind someone. A separate walking sense means stride stiffly or angrily. Verb [base, third-person present, past, past participle, -ing]: stalk, stalks, stalked, stalked, stalking. Derived/related family (not inflections): stalker (agent noun).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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