stalker

noun

stalk·​er ˈstȯ-kər 

plural stalkers

1

: a person who stalks : a person who pursues someone obsessively and aggressively to the point of harassment

celebrity stalkers

In 1990, California was the first state to pass a stalking law that made it a crime to follow, threaten, or harass someone—especially if the stalker threatened violence.

—George

Eighty-seven percent of stalkers are men. Women tend to be victimized by lone male stalkers whom they know, while men are more likely to be stalked by strangers, and half of male victims' stalkers had an accomplice.

—Matthew Klein

2

: a person or animal that pursues quarry or prey stealthily

a deer stalker

Though I catch my share of trout, I do it by being a good stalker and knowing where the fish lie …

—Bill Barich

Polar bears are superb stalkers, and have a way of suddenly appearing heart-stoppingly close.

—John P. Wiley, Jr.

Examples of stalker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Baby Reindeer follows Donny Dunn, played by Gadd, 35, and his relationship with Martha (Jessica Gunning) — a friend who finds him during a low point in his life — eventually becoming more stalker than companion. —Tabitha Parent, Peoplemag, 7 June 2024

Harvey is rumored to be the real-life Martha Scott — the stalker played by Jessica Gunning in the popular TV adaptation of Gadd’s one-man show. —Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024

The romantic drama starred Houston as a famous singer who is haunted by a stalker and falls in love with her bodyguard, played by Costner. —Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 3 June 2024

Over multiple years, the stalker portrayed in Gadd’s show sent him more than 41,000 emails, 744 tweets, 100 pages of letters and 350 hours of voicemails. —Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2024

There was another trauma around the corner with a stalker. —Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 May 2024

In 2016, the Nickelodeon alum's stalker lit himself on fire and then fatally shot himself in her front yard As Richard Gadd's Baby Reindeer is captivating the world, Miranda Cosgrove is reflecting on her own traumatic experience with a stalker. —Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 10 May 2024

Miranda Cosgrove recounted a horrifying experience with a stalker that just might rival the stalker story in Netflix's Baby Reindeer. —Jessica Wang, EW.com, 10 May 2024

What Bardo learned from a private eye, stalkers can now find with a click. —Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2