lurk
to lie or wait in concealment, as a person in ambush; remain in or around a place secretly or furtively.
to go furtively; slink; steal.
to exist unperceived or unsuspected.
Chiefly Computers. to read or observe an ongoing discussion without participating in it, as on a message board.
an underhand scheme; dodge.
an easy, somewhat lazy or unethical way of earning a living, performing a task, etc.
a hideout.
Origin of lurk
1synonym study For lurk
Other words from lurk
- lurker, noun
- lurking, noun
- lurk·ing·ly, adverb
Words Nearby lurk
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use lurk in a sentence
How many times have your stories kept me awake at night wondering, like a child in the dark, what monsters lurk nearby?
Stephen King, “Falling,” and My Father’s Poetry | Christopher Dickey | September 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTDiscounting the occasional outbreak among bushmeat hunters, Ebola seems content to lurk.
Already Deadly in Africa, Could Ebola Hit America Next? | Scott Bixby | April 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTFinally, and most importantly, F. Murray Abraham will continue to lurk in the shadows, looking mysterious and bald.
‘Homeland’ Is Finally Back On Track with Season 3’s Penultimate Episode, “Big Man in Tehran” | Andrew Romano | December 9, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTPost-war Iraq is unfortunately a fitting example for the reality that might lurk behind one-state visions.
Partition Skepticism and the Future of the Peace Process | Avner Inbar, Assaf Sharon | September 25, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTFascist snipers lurk in the hills, and merely sitting in a café could be fatal.
The Art of Rediscovery: Muriel Rukeyser’s “Savage Coast” | Lauren Elkin | August 16, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
We got off our horses and stooped over the man, forgetting for the moment that danger might lurk in the surrounding thicket.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. SinclairHolding the violin aloft, he cried exultingly: Henceforth thou art mine, though death and oblivion lurk ever near thee!
The Fifth String | John Philip SousaScouts bring in that a squad of the emir of Emessa's cavalry lurk around the port.
God Wills It! | William Stearns DavisPerhaps he would even have to lurk in the woods, awaiting his opportunity to smuggle his liquor to the men.
Blazed Trail Stories | Stewart Edward WhiteIn the caves would lurk such coolness as was going; but the lack of water must have been a sore trial in summer.
The Cradle of Mankind | W.A. Wigram
British Dictionary definitions for lurk
/ (lɜːk) /
to move stealthily or be concealed, esp for evil purposes
to be present in an unobtrusive way; go unnoticed
to read messages posted on an electronic network without contributing messages oneself
Australian and NZ slang a scheme or stratagem for success
Origin of lurk
1Derived forms of lurk
- lurker, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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