sneaking

[snee-king]

adjective

1. acting in a furtive or underhand way.

2. deceitfully underhand, as actions; contemptible.

3. secret; not generally avowed, as a feeling, notion, suspicion, etc.

sneaking

/ ˈsniːkɪŋ /

adjective

1. acting in a furtive or cowardly way

2. secret

   a sneaking desire to marry a millionaire

3. slight but nagging (esp in the phrase a sneaking suspicion )

Other Word Forms

• sneakingly adverb
• sneakingness noun
• unsneaking adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sneaking¹

First recorded in 1575–85; sneak + -ing ²

Example Sentences

The greedy aboatia is behind the vendor now, sneaking a second serving of plantains right out of the basket.

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He was furious at me for sneaking out in the middle of the night.

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Fink said with a laugh that equestrians have been sneaking onto the polo field for weeks, even though the park was closed.

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Despite its grand orchestral sweep, Lux is a thoroughly modern album, with cutting edge production and hip-hop phrasing sneaking into Rosalía's stunning, operatic vocals.

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During the war she’d earned legendary status in the Soviet spy service by sneaking past FBI agents with atomic bomb plans hidden in a tissue box.

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