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

There are dozens of reasons someone might not want their photo online — from having dealt with a stalker to being employed in a role in which party photos are frowned upon. —Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 23 June 2023

Oh, damn, Emily frames Luke as her longtime stalker to Campbell. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2023

Be on alert, the silence screams in this twee stalker anthem. —Jessica Gentile, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2023

There have been biographies by her friends, her foes, her siblings, her household staff, two of her husbands, and two of her stalkers. —Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023

Look Who’s Stalking follows a mother who, after the death of her stalker, pieces her life back together with the help of her new personal assistant. —Josie Howell | [e-mail], al, 22 July 2023

Between 2018 and 2021, Oregonians submitted over 64,000 requests for protective orders, including against stalkers, perpetrators of domestic violence, people who abuse elderly relatives and more. —Austindedios, oregonlive, 30 Aug. 2023

In the middle of the interview, a stalker attempted to storm the stage. —Vulture, 22 Aug. 2023

What's a The Last of Us landscape without some runners or stalkers ready to attack? —Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, 2 Aug. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2