stalker

noun

stalk·​er ˈstȯ-kər 

plural stalkers

1

: a person who stalks : a person who pursues someone obsessively and aggressively to the point of harassment

celebrity stalkers

In 1990, California was the first state to pass a stalking law that made it a crime to follow, threaten, or harass someone—especially if the stalker threatened violence.

—George

Eighty-seven percent of stalkers are men. Women tend to be victimized by lone male stalkers whom they know, while men are more likely to be stalked by strangers, and half of male victims' stalkers had an accomplice.

—Matthew Klein

2

: a person or animal that pursues quarry or prey stealthily

a deer stalker

Though I catch my share of trout, I do it by being a good stalker and knowing where the fish lie …

—Bill Barich

Polar bears are superb stalkers, and have a way of suddenly appearing heart-stoppingly close.

—John P. Wiley, Jr.

Examples of stalker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Victims of stalkers who used Apple AirTags to track their whereabouts will be able to move forward with their lawsuit against the tech giant, a federal judge has ruled. —Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024

But the small bluetooth devices that owners attach to their key chains or keep in their bags and purses to locate their personal belongings, have been misused by stalkers who are tracking their targets' every move. —CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024

Apple’s getting sued over how stalkers use its AirTags. —Susan Howson, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024

That said, the comedian has plenty to say about two very special women in his life: his mom… and his stalker. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 10 Jan. 2024

According to Musk, the crackdown was a result of a stalker’s attack on a vehicle carrying his 2-year old son. —Paolo Confino, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2024

The pop star has routinely faced stalkers showing up outside her homes, Morrone wrote, and one man now faces stalking and harassment charges after being arrested last month outside her townhouse in Manhattan. —Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2024

Someone as famous as Swift is likely to attract stalkers, and the star’s representatives cited this as a reason to pay less attention to her jet use. —Irina Ivanova, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2024

Swift’s spokesperson, Tree Paine, however, would not say whether her team had any evidence that stalkers used Sweeney’s accounts to track the singer’s travels. —Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2