leering
Americanadjective
-
indicating lewd, sly, or malicious intent.
He regarded her with a leering grin as she walked slowly up the path.
-
having a lewd, sly, or malicious look.
The massive door, with a leering gargoyle for a knocker, lent the scene an air of unreality.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of leering
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.
Such discussions helped establish the difference between witnessing as a matter of civic responsibility and leering voyeurism.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
At the gym, located in Garden Grove, Hansen says they were met with unwelcoming and leering stares before entering the facility.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2026
He added it was a "privilege and honour" to be now playing the leering, flamboyant Emcee in "this incredible show".
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2023
“The Idol” is gross and leering in the way the set reports suggested, but it’s also inept in a way that Sam Levinson’s “Euphoria” would not suggest.
From New York Times ● Jun. 30, 2023
There was, in that handshake, a claiming, a leering, and for this she had always harbored a small dislike, but she had never told Blaine because she was also sorry about her dislike.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.