Meaning & use
stalking
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Meanings
noununcountablelegal
The crime of repeatedly following, watching, or contacting a person in a way that frightens them.
Grammar: Uncountable: stalking is a crime; no plural.
Patterns
- stalking of someone
- a stalking victim
The court convicted him of stalking his former neighbor.
Stalking can leave victims afraid to leave their homes.
Online stalking has become a serious problem.
noununcountable
The act of following wild animals quietly and carefully in order to hunt or watch them.
Grammar: Uncountable: deer stalking is a country sport.
Patterns
- deer stalking
Deer stalking is popular in the Scottish Highlands.
Quiet movement is essential in stalking.
Photographers practice stalking to get close to wildlife.
verbtransitive or intransitive
Present participle of stalk: walking in a slow, stiff, or angry way, or creeping toward prey.
Grammar: Used after be: The cat is stalking a bird. It can also describe stiff, angry walking.
Patterns
- stalking something
- stalking off
The lion was stalking a zebra through the tall grass.
He left the room, stalking out in anger.
She was stalking him on social media all night.
Common combinations
- stalking victim
- The stalking victim asked the court for protection.
- cyber stalking
- Cyber stalking involves harassing someone through the internet.
- charged with stalking
- The man was charged with stalking his ex-partner.
- stalking behavior
- Police warned that his stalking behavior was getting worse.
- deer stalking
- Deer stalking requires patience and silence.
Synonyms and how they differ
- harassment
- Harassment covers any repeated unwanted behavior, while stalking suggests following or watching someone obsessively.
- hunting
- Hunting covers the whole chase, but stalking is the quiet approach before the final move.
- tracking
- Tracking means following signs or movements, often neutrally, whereas stalking carries a threat or hostile intent.
- shadowing
- Shadowing means following someone closely, often for work or investigation, without the fear that stalking causes.
Word family
Commonly confused: stalking or stalk?
stalking vs stalk
A stalk is also a plant's stem, so check whether the sentence is about plants or following someone.
Practice
Which sentence uses stalking in its criminal sense?
Choose one answer.
The criminal sense means repeatedly following or harassing a person who is afraid. The other sentences use animal hunting, plants, or angry walking.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stalking”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.