Meaning & use

stalking

noun·Academic

The act of following or watching someone repeatedly and obsessively, often causing fear or distress.

See it in a sentence

The court granted a restraining order after months of stalking by her ex-boyfriend.

Police take reports of stalking seriously because it can escalate into violence.

A note on using this word

Stalking also describes an animal moving slowly and quietly toward prey, a much older and more literal sense of the word.

Words with a similar meaning

harassmentshadowing

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

(of an animal) to move slowly and quietly toward prey in order to catch it.

The lioness spent ten minutes stalking the herd of gazelle.

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