leer

1 of 2

verb

leered; leering; leers
Synonyms of leernext

intransitive verb

: to cast a sidelong glance
especially : to give a leer
Some female employees complained that they were being leered at by male employees.
leeringly adverb

leer

2 of 2

noun

: a lascivious, knowing, or wanton look

Examples of leer in a Sentence

Verb She complained that some disgusting man was leering at her. He gave her a leering look.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Court records say Hiles, an employee of the West Mifflin Denny's, was allegedly leering at a group of women in the restaurant and, according to what a witness told police, Hiles then began to pull his genitals from his pants and began to touch himself. Ross Guidotti, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026 At the time it was widely reported that Censori was thinking of leaving Ye amid a deluge of horrifying behavior, and possibly—or so the leering speculation of tabloids and comments sections goes—abuse of Censori herself. Anna Peele, Vanity Fair, 6 Feb. 2026
Noun
Marching in circles adjacent to the rat’s toothy leer have been staff members of the WGA West, who launched a strike on Feb. 17 in protest of union management allegedly breaking labor law. Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026 Hobert standing grinning for the camera while a menacing clown leers through a window behind her. Carrie Battan, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for leer

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

probably from obsolete leer cheek

First Known Use

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of leer was in 1530

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leer. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

leer

verb
ˈli(ə)r
: to give a nasty or sexually suggestive look
leer noun

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