lurk
Americanverb (used without object)
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to lie or wait in concealment, as a person in ambush; remain in or around a place secretly or furtively.
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to go furtively; slink; steal.
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to exist unperceived or unsuspected.
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Chiefly Computers. to read or observe an ongoing discussion without participating in it, as on a message board.
noun
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an underhand scheme; dodge.
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an easy, somewhat lazy or unethical way of earning a living, performing a task, etc.
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a hideout.
verb
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to move stealthily or be concealed, esp for evil purposes
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to be present in an unobtrusive way; go unnoticed
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to read messages posted on an electronic network without contributing messages oneself
noun
Related Words
Lurk, skulk, sneak, prowl suggest avoiding observation, often because of a sinister purpose. To lurk is to lie in wait for someone or to hide about a place, often without motion, for periods of time. Skulk suggests cowardliness and stealth of movement. Sneak emphasizes the attempt to avoid being seen. It has connotations of slinking and of an abject meanness of manner, whether there exists a sinister intent or the desire to avoid punishment for some misdeed. Prowl implies the definite purpose of seeking for prey; it suggests continuous action in roaming or wandering, slowly and quietly but watchfully, as a cat that is hunting mice.
Other Word Forms
- lurker noun
- lurking noun
- lurkingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of lurk
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English lurken, frequentative of lower 2; compare Norwegian lurka “to sneak away”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Third parties are constantly lurking as you navigate the internet, collecting data they can later aggregate and sell, according to the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
From Los Angeles Times
Two balls into Australia's Plan B, one that reduced the series' best bowler in Starc to a battering ram, Brook backed away and almost top-edged a catch to the fielder lurking at third.
From BBC
Other residents have said they saw a creature lurking around.
From Los Angeles Times
"I remember something that had been lurking in the back of my brain for a very long time," the Queen told them.
From BBC
A Broncos win over the Chargers will give Denver top seed status in the AFC, with the Patriots and even the Jaguars lurking should they lose.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
