leered; leering; leers
: to cast a sidelong glance
especially
: to give a leer
Some female employees complained that they were being leered at by male employees.
: a lascivious, knowing, or wanton look
Synonyms
Examples of leer in a Sentence
Verb
She complained that some disgusting man was leering at her.
He gave her a leering look.
Recent Examples on the Web
Angelica Villa For Artnews, Robb Report, 18 Nov. 2021
Everything about this setup screams B-movie — including a strain of leering misogyny — but King refuses to play by the rules.
—Neil McRobert, Vulture, 20 May 2024
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 June 2024
Throughout the show, Redmayne leers at the crowd from the edge of the stage and slinks around tables of dining guests.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for leer 
Verb
The work that fetched the highest price of the night was a 1958 painting by Francis Bacon of a leering pope flanked by two owls perched on his throne.
—Angelica Villa For Artnews, Robb Report, 18 Nov. 2021
Everything about this setup screams B-movie — including a strain of leering misogyny — but King refuses to play by the rules.
—Neil McRobert, Vulture, 20 May 2024
Noun
Director Sarah Blush and her excellent six-woman ensemble have taken note — even when Williams’s text periodically wavers or thins, Coach Coach remains a delicious showcase for their all-out commitment to every gasp-inducing revelation, ominous leer, and sudden but inevitable betrayal.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 June 2024
Throughout the show, Redmayne leers at the crowd from the edge of the stage and slinks around tables of dining guests.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for leer
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Leer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leer. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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