sleuth
Americannoun
-
sleuths
plural
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a detective.
- Synonyms:
- shamus, gumshoe, private eye, private investigator, investigator
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a bloodhound, a dog used for tracking.
verb (used with or without object)
noun
-
an informal word for detective
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short for sleuthhound
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of sleuth
First recorded in 1875–80; short for sleuthhound
Explanation
Sleuth is a fun, sometimes playful, word for "detective." As a verb, it's also what a detective does. When you seek clues, you sleuth. You, sleuth, you! The word sleuth comes from the Old Norse sloth, meaning "trail" and sleuthing is following a trail. One type of bloodhound skilled at following trails is called a sleuthhound, and that word was shortened to sleuth in the late 19th Century, referring to an investigator. As an amateur sleuth, you caught the robber dressed as a mummy before the police did. He would have escaped if not for you, you meddling sleuth!
Vocabulary lists containing sleuth
Lucky Broken Girl
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 29–November 4, 2022
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Restaurant Critic Pete Wells' Yummy Words
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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.
See Examples For:
Preparations for the event have been conducted in the utmost secrecy, with top reporters from the usually staid New York Times forced to sleuth through local hotels for hints of the guest list.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Wherever the sleuth goes, the scribe is sure to follow—if about five steps behind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
This semi-comedic and definitely cozy amateur sleuth series is perfect multigenerational viewing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2025
But it doesn’t take a sleuth to understand the underlying dynamic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2025
In detective stories, when the sleuth revisits the scene of the crime, he nearly always finds a clue that has been overlooked by the ordinary police.
From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd
Nonetheless, internet sleuths sussed out that the shirt Chao is wearing on the July 26 photo appears to be the same one she was seen wearing on July 15.
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2026
For posts beyond the reach of my inbox, there’s a risk in putting that information out there because nefarious sleuths can figure out more than you think.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Some are by amateur forensic analysts and would-be internet sleuths with podcast names like The Murder Men that dissect the killing as if it’s a 1980s cold case.
From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026
Would-be sleuths with Ratajkowski’s essay and a gossip rag handy will have their work cut out for them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
"I used to run errands for de sleuths at police headquarters, an' I seen lots of criminals."
From Dick Hamilton's Fortune The Stirring Doings of a Millionaire's Son by Howard R. Garis
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.
