What does leer mean?
To leer is to look at someone in a way that feels menacing, contemptuous, uncomfortable, or lustful. The word emphasizes not merely the physical act of looking but the hostile or unsettling manner of the expression. A leer can be threatening, mocking, predatory, or suggestive, and it often implies that the person is staring with an improper or intimidating purpose. The related noun refers to the look itself: a person may give someone “a leer,” and a threatening expression may be described as a “leering glance” or “a leering look.” Because the term carries such strong negative associations, it is more appropriate for deliberately unsettling behaviour than for ordinary observation. In less formal contexts, “leer” can be used figuratively to emphasize a smug, predatory, or openly lustful way of looking.
To look at someone or something with a menacing, contemptuous, lustful, or otherwise unsettling expression.
"Several men sat by the entrance and leered at passing pedestrians."
The verb is usually negative and stronger than “look” or “stare”; it implies an objectionable or intimidating manner of looking.
A menacing, contemptuous, lustful, or otherwise unsettling look.
"He turned his head and gave her a sly leer."
Common in the expression “give someone a leer” and in phrases such as “a leering glance.”
The plural is used for separate unsettling looks or for instances of leering behaviour.
"His hostile leers made everyone at the table uncomfortable."
A single look can convey menace, mockery, or desire: the word captures the unsettling power of an expression that says more than words.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does leer come from?
The word is historically associated with an older English sense meaning “cheek” or “face,” from which the development of its modern meaning is difficult to trace with certainty. Its exact origin is obscure, but the modern verb and noun have long been used for a characteristically hostile or lustful expression of the face or eyes.
Related word forms
How leer is actually used
The verb is strongly negative and usually implies that the person’s look is rude, threatening, contemptuous, or lustful. It is more expressive and accusatory than simply “stare,” which can be neutral.
Easily confused with leer
A leer is an unpleasant or lustful look, whereas a lair is a place where an animal or a person lives.
A leer is a way of looking, while a lier is someone who tells falsehoods.