peek

American  

[peek] / pik /

verb (used without object)

1. to look or glance quickly or furtively, especially through a small opening or from a concealed location; peep; peer.

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noun

1. a quick or furtive look or glance; peep.

peek British  

/ piːk /

verb

1. (intr) to glance quickly or furtively; peep

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noun

1. a quick or furtive glance

Usage

What's the difference between peek, peak, and pique? The word peek is most commonly used as a verb meaning to look at something quickly or sneakily and as a noun referring to such a look. The word peak refers to the top of a mountain or, more figuratively, to the highest point of something, as in the peak of my career. The less frequently used word pique is most commonly used as a verb meaning to arouse or excite a particular feeling, as in Advertisements are designed to pique your interest. The confusion surrounding the three words—all three of which can be used as both a verb and a noun—is mainly due to the fact that they are all pronounced the same. Since peek and peak are so close in spelling, one way to tell them apart is to remember that peek has two e’s, which kind of look like two little eyes peeking out between the p and the k. Another way to remember this is that peek has two e’s like look has two o’s. To remember what pique means (and how to spell it), remember that the things that pique your interest or curiosity are often unique. Here’s an example of peek, peak, and pique used correctly in a sentence. Example: The image of the strange mountain peak on the cover was meant to pique your curiosity, and it worked—you picked up the magazine to peek inside. Want to learn more? Read the breakdown of the difference between peeked, peaked, and piqued.

Related Words

See peep ¹.

Etymology

Origin of peek

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English piken (verb); perhaps dissimilated variant of kiken “to look furtively, keek”; keek

Explanation

When you peek, you take a quick glance at something. It's incredibly tempting when you're little to peek at your birthday presents, but you soon learn how disappointing it is to spoil the surprise. A sneaky look at something is a peek. You might peek at someone if you're shy or you don't want them to catch you looking. You can also describe a glance at a part of something as "a peek" — like when you take a peek at a napping child. Peek comes from piken, a 14th century word meaning "look quickly and slyly." Until the 15th century, the word peek was used interchangeably with keek and peep.

Example Sentences

Rather, he’s using a shoestring budget to concoct left-of-center sights that feel like a peek into a specific Los Angeles netherworld.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

They build in operational transparency, which allows users to peek behind the curtain and be a part of how something works, not just a recipient of it.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

One Chinese tourist from the northeastern city of Shenyang told AFP that a peek at North Korea from Dandong was close enough for him.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

She and McCullagh exchanged messages just before he posted the stream – he said he was about to "stream the night away" and she said she would try to "sneak a peek at it".

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

I was just about to peek when I felt hands digging into the straw, pulling out big clumps.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Related Words

• glance
• peep
• snoop