- present participle of leer.
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.
But when she played the early solo cut “Money” too, a leering rap banger, she showed she’s always had this in her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2025
There are T-shirts, phones, watches, furniture, clocks, slippers, tents, wallets, trading cards, eye shadow and roller skates with Garfield’s leering image.
From New York Times ● Jun. 7, 2024
To add insult to injury, she describes John Eastman, another coup plotter, as flashing a "leering grin" while Giuliani manhandled her.
From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2023
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
I looked back for the leering clown, but he had melted into the crowd.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
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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.