Standard Lemma guide

stalker

noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈstɔːkə(ɹ)/
  • Northumbria: /ˈstaːkɐ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɔːkə(ɹ)
  • homophone: stocker (cot–caught merger)
  • CMU ARPABET: S T AO1 K ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person who engages in stalking, i.e., quietly approaching animals to be hunted; a tracker or guide in hunting game.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Any of various devices for removing the stalk from plants during harvesting.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Any bird that walks with a stalking motion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A kind of fishing net.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A horse that tends to stay just behind the leaders in a race.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: hobbies, horse-racing, horseracing, horses, lifestyle, pets, racing, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

someone who prowls or sneaks about; usually with unlawful intentions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: prowler, sneak

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: intruder, interloper, trespasser

8

noun

Meaning 8

someone who stalks game

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hunter, huntsman

9

noun

Meaning 9

someone who walks with long stiff strides

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: pedestrian, walker, footer

History

Etymology

From Middle English stalkere, equivalent to stalk + -er.

Across languages

Translations

70 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: stopař — person who stalks game
  • Czech: stopařka — person who stalks game
  • Finnish: vaanija — person who stalks game
  • French: traqueur — person who stalks game
  • French: traqueuse — person who stalks game
  • German: Pirschjäger — person who stalks game
  • German: Pirschjägerin — person who stalks game
  • Greek: κυνηγός (kynigós) — person who stalks game
  • Irish: stalcaire — person who stalks game
  • Italian: cacciatore — person who stalks game
  • Italian: cacciatrice — person who stalks game
  • Macedonian: ло́вец (lóvec) — person who stalks game
  • Macedonian: ло́вџија (lóvdžija) — person who stalks game
  • Polish: obserwator — person who stalks game
  • Polish: obserwatorka — person who stalks game
  • Portuguese: perseguidor — person who stalks game
  • Portuguese: perseguidora — person who stalks game
  • Russian: ло́вчий (lóvčij) — person who stalks game
  • Russian: следопы́т (sledopýt) — person who stalks game
  • Russian: охо́тник (oxótnik) — person who stalks game
  • Spanish: acechador — person who stalks game
  • Spanish: acechadora — person who stalks game
  • Tatar: эзәрләүче (ezärläwçe) — person who stalks game
  • Arabic: مُطَارِد (muṭārid) — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Chinese Mandarin: 潛行者 /潜行者 (qiánxíngzhě) — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Chinese Mandarin: 跟蹤狂 /跟踪狂 (gēnzōngkuáng) — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Dutch: stalker — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Finnish: ahdistelija — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Finnish: vainoaja — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Finnish: piinaaja — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • French: rôdeur — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • French: rôdeuse — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • German: Stalker — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • German: Stalkerin — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • German: Nachsteller — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • German: Nachstellerin — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • German: Verfolger — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • German: Verfolgerin — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Greek: κυνηγός (kynigós) — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Hebrew: מטריד כפייתי — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Indonesian: penguntit — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Indonesian: stalker — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Italian: stalker — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Italian: molestatore — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Italian: molestatrice — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Italian: vessatore — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Italian: vessatrice — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Japanese: ストーカー (sutōkā) — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Korean: 스토커 (seutokeo) — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Macedonian: прого́нувач (progónuvač) — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Macedonian: прого́нител (progónitel) — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Macedonian: де́мнач (démnač) — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Norwegian: stalker — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Polish: prześladowca — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Polish: prześladowczyni — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Polish: stalker — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Polish: stalkerka — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Portuguese: perseguidor — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Portuguese: perseguidora — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Portuguese: stalker — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Russian: пресле́дователь (preslédovatelʹ) — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Russian: пресле́довательница (preslédovatelʹnica) — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Russian: ста́лкер (stálker) — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Russian: сто́кер (stóker) — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Slovak: prenasledovateľ — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Spanish: acosador — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Spanish: acosadora — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Thai: สตอล์กเกอร์ — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Turkish: takipçi — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
  • Turkish: önücü — person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions
Real reading context

stalker in complete knowledge articles