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

Last month, Mabry had to testify against her stalker in a Collin County courtroom. —J.d. Miles, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2025

Evangeline Riddiford Graham Considers the Unrequited Loves of the Celebrated Novelist Barbara Pym, a novelist sometimes described as the twentieth-century Jane Austen, was a stalker. —Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025

In the 1987 version, Jesse Ventura played Captain Freedom, who is known as the greatest stalker of their time. —Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025

The stalker remained hidden as police were stumped. —Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for stalker

• blocker
• chalker
• cocker
• docker
• hawker
• hocker
• knocker
• locker
• mocker
• ocher
• rocker
• shocker