peer

1 of 2

verb (1)

peered; peering; peers

intransitive verb

1

: to look narrowly or curiously

a child peering from behind a tree

especially : to look searchingly at something difficult to discern

She peered into the dark closet looking for her missing shoe.

2

: to come slightly into view : emerge partly

… a vast white cloud, through which the sun peered …

—Francis Kingdon-Ward

peer

2 of 2

verb (2)

peered; peering; peers

transitive verb

archaic

: rival, match

Synonyms of peer

Verb (1)

• gaze
• stare
• gawk

Examples of peer in a Sentence

Verb (1)

visitors seem mesmerized as they peer at the variety of marine life in the aquarium's huge tank

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

There was something fundamentally literary about this endeavor; where else does writing come from, if not the desire to peer through the keyhole of someone else’s mind? —Literary Hub, 10 June 2026

Science luminaries including Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble and Carl Sagan once peered through the vintage telescopes housed in the domed observatory towers. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026

This 82-minute true crime documentary focuses on the killing and its aftermath while also peering into the years leading up to Blanchard's demise. —James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026

Outside a nearby auto-parts shop, a man in camouflage pants and Crocs peered at his truck’s engine. —Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

perhaps by shortening & alteration from appear

Verb (2)

Middle English peren, peeren "be the equal of, be comparable to," derivative of per peer entry 1

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1614, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing peer

• life peer
• peer pressure
• peer review
• peer-to-peer

Rhymes for peer

• beer
• bier
• cheer
• clear
• dear
• deer
• drear
• ear
• fear
• fier
• gear
• hear

Kids Definition

peer

1 of 2 noun

ˈpi(ə)r 

1

: a person of the same rank or class as another

2

a

: a member of one of the five ranks of the British nobility

b

: noble entry 2

peer

2 of 2 verb

1

: to look closely or curiously

peered into the dark closet

2

: peep entry 3 sense 2

Etymology

Noun

Middle English peer "one on equal standing with another," derived from early French per (adjective) "equal," from Latin par "equal" — related to compare, pair, par, umpire see Word History at umpire

Verb

perhaps an altered and shortened form of appear