lurk

verb

\ ˈlərk

lurked; lurking; lurks

Definition of lurk

1a : to lie in wait in a place of concealment especially for an evil purpose someone out there lurking in the shadows

b : to move furtively or inconspicuously shall I lurk about this country like a thief?— Henry Fielding

c : to persist in staying the excitement of the first act still lurking in the air— Richard Fletcher Something about the smile lurking on Malfoy's face during the next week made Harry, Ron, and Hermione very nervous.— J. K. Rowling

2a : to be concealed but capable of being discovered specifically : to constitute a latent threat What evil lurks in the hearts of men?

b : to lie hidden Malaria lurked in the marshes.

3 : to read messages without contributing on an Internet discussion forum (see forum sense 1c) (such as a newsgroup or chat room) or social media platform (such as Facebook or Twitter) You can tweet as much as you want or lurk without comment, though consistent tweeting and audience engagement are key to attracting and keeping followers.— Charlotte Abbott

Other Words from lurk Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about lurk

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Other Words from lurk

lurker noun, plural lurkers

a lurker in the shadows A new scam has surfaced on the Internet in which con artists using fake names stage phony conversations about a company's stock. Unsuspecting lurkers—people who read others' conversations but don't participate—think they are privy to a hot stock tip. — Playboy

Choose the Right Synonym for lurk

lurk, skulk, slink, sneak mean to behave so as to escape attention. lurk implies a lying in wait in a place of concealment and often suggests an evil intent. suspicious men lurking in alleyways skulk suggests more strongly cowardice or fear or sinister intent. something skulking in the shadows slink implies moving stealthily often merely to escape attention. slunk around the corner sneak may add an implication of entering or leaving a place or evading a difficulty by furtive or underhanded methods. sneaked out early

Examples of lurk in a Sentence

She could tell there was someone out there lurking in the shadows. we caught a glimpse of someone lurking around the corner

Recent Examples on the Web

According to them, the orbits of those dwarf planets and asteroids suggests a hidden planet is lurking somewhere out there, messing up those orbits with its gravity. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Find Dwarf Planet 'The Goblin' Lurking in the Outer Solar System," 2 Oct. 2018 Perhaps that’s the strategy lurking behind all of this. — Chad Pergram, Fox News, "A User's Manual: What to expect on immigration, border security this week in the House," 18 June 2018 Inside the opening 30 seconds, Virgil van Dijk headed away an awkward cross by Stephan El Shaarawy as Edin Dzeko lurked menacingly behind him. — Matias Grez, CNN, "Liverpool see off spirited Roma to reach Champions League final," 2 May 2018 Infrared light can also be detected piercing through clouds and nebulae in space, revealing the objects lurking behind. — Jay Bennett, Popular Mechanics, "The Deep Space Eye in the Desert," 14 Feb. 2018 Streetwise had a couple of big successes going into 2018, warning last December that the lurking dangers were tighter money, China, and a switch in correlations between bonds and equities, all of which ended up spooking investors. — James Mackintosh, WSJ, "My Lessons From the Market’s Wild December," 27 Dec. 2018 Some financial risks are longstanding, lurking sources of infection that are concealed very deep but may erupt in a flash. — New York Times, "What Keeps Xi Jinping Awake at Night," 11 May 2018 Related Simplisafe’s darker ad, which shows a man talking about robots taking jobs while a robot casually lurks behind him, was the exception. — Alexandra Bruell, WSJ, "Robots’ Lead Role in Super Bowl Ads Hint at Tech Anxieties," 4 Feb. 2019 Between 1850 and 1941 an entire subterranean underworld lurked beneath this town, where people lived and died in a complex series of catacombs known as the Shanghai Tunnels. — Condé Nast Traveler, "8 Most Haunted Cities In America and Why You Should Visit," 18 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lurk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.