stalker
Americannoun
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stalkers
plural
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a person who pursues game, prey, or a person stealthily.
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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.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of stalker
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.
Vocabulary lists containing stalker
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:
Det Ch Insp Teresa Foster from the Met Police said she believed Lamplugh may have been targeted by a stalker.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Max even has his own stalker played by Juliette Lewis, who also starred in the 1991 movie.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
The harrowing sequence of events began just over a week ago, but the alleged stalker has been spotted near the “Please, Please, Please” singer’s home since April, according to court documents reviewed by The Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 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
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
She handles intake for new clients, including those who are targeted by stalkers.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
South Korean authorities are developing a mobile app for stalking victims to track in real-time the location of their stalkers, if they're nearby.
From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2025
When I meet famous people, within 10 minutes we’re talking about our stalkers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2025
Stalking Protection Orders - which can ban alleged stalkers from contacting or being within a certain distance of their victims - will also be made more widely available, the government said.
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2024
As Elizabeth walked along the line of guardsmen, they did nothing to protect her from her stalkers.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
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.
