- 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.
Such discussions helped establish the difference between witnessing as a matter of civic responsibility and leering voyeurism.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
One reason why is that Bon Jovi never seemed leering in the way that some of your ’80s hair-metal contemporaries did.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2024
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
"Did you hear that, Seligmann?" says one boy, leering.
From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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.
