stalker

American  

[staw-ker] / ˈstɔ kər /

noun

1. a person who pursues game, prey, or a person stealthily.

2. a person who harasses another person, as a former lover, a famous person, etc., in an aggressive, often threatening and illegal manner.

   Hollywood stars often have security guards to keep dangerous stalkers at bay.

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Etymology

Origin of stalker

stalk ² (verb) + -er ¹

Explanation

You might joke about your neighborhood stalker who always seems to know where you've been and what time you get home from work every day, but it can actually be a little creepy to know that someone's watching you. A stalker can describe anyone who sneaks around, but it usually means a person who follows one specific individual obsessively. The word wasn't used this way until the early 1990s. Before that, it was mostly used interchangeably with "poacher" to mean "someone who pursues and steals game animals." The Old English word stelan lead to the English word steal, which is most likely the root of stalk.

Example Sentences

The alleged stalker held firm, saying he knew the singer and that she was expecting his visit, and refused to leave until police arrived.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

The owner of another horse, Detail, wrote in a Facebook post that the alleged attacker was a “crazy obsessed stalker who has been following me on social media for a long time.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

He had previously engaged in the first of several cringeworthy pre-recorded sketches alongside his comedic stalker Jack Whitehall.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

Yet there are red flags: William has a stalker, a woman nicknamed the Rabbit, who sends Sam scary messages demanding she back off.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

To be honest, I was relieved that she was only messing with me and that she wasn’t actually a stalker who ruined boys’ lives.

From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith