leer
/ˈlɪə̯/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.59 in modern English
4
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To look sideways or obliquely; now especially with sexual desire or malicious intent.
Intransitive verb
noun
A significant side glance; a glance expressive of some passion, as malignity, amorousness, etc.; a sly or lecherous look.
noun
An arch or affected glance or cast of countenance.
Example Sentences
- "And she looked to Mr. –––– / And leered like a love-sick pigeon."
- "I thought I saw him leer in an ugly way at me while the decanters were going round, but as there was no love lost between us, that might easily be."
- "The Baroness perceived that her entertainer had analyzed material comfort to a sufficiently fine point. And then he possessed the most delightful chinoiseries—trophies of his sojourn in the Celestial Empire: pagodas of ebony and cabinets of ivory; sculptured monsters, grinning and leering on chimney-pieces, in front of beautifully figured hand-screens; […]"
- "It was a quarter well stocked with deformed, leering, unkempt and uncombed idiots, who held out hands or caps and begged piteously."
- "“Hush! Don’t say that. You have done enough evil in your life. My God! Don’t you see that accursed thing leering at us?”"
- "But Bertran has been taught the Arts of Court, / To guild a Face with Smiles; and leer a man to ruin."
Etymology
Exact development uncertain, but apparently from a verb *leer (“to make a face, look sideways”), from leer (“cheek, face, profile”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈlɪə̯/
- British English: /ˈlɪə̯/
Usage
Inflected Forms
leers (present, singular)
leering (participle, present)
leered (participle, past)
leered (past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
leered (first person, past)
leerest (archaic, present)
leered (past, second person)
leeredst (archaic, past)
leereth (archaic, present)
leered (past, singular)