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

Alyson Stoner, a former child actor who starred in movies like Cheaper by the Dozen, discussed her experience with child fame, including her face being superimposed on pornography and stalkers showing up during one of her dance lessons. —Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 29 Mar. 2026

Her appearance was discussed by strangers, images of her face were imposed on pornography and a stalker showed up during one of her dance lessons. —Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026

Half Man is created, written, and executive produced by Richard Gadd, who shot to fame in 2024 with the release of Netflix show Baby Reindeer, chronicling his years-long relationship with a female stalker. —Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 23 Mar. 2026

Justin Bieber has had multiple stalkers, including a New Mexico man and his nephew who plotted to murder and castrate the pop singer in 2013. —Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 15 Mar. 2026

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