sneak
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Related to sneak: sneak out
sneak
(snēk)v. sneaked or snuck (snŭk), sneak·ing, sneaks
v.intr.
1. To go or move in a quiet, stealthy way.
2. To behave in a cowardly or servile manner.
v.tr.
To move, give, take, or put in a quiet, stealthy manner: sneak candy into one's mouth; sneaked a look at the grade sheet.
n.
1. A person regarded as stealthy, cowardly, or underhanded.
2. An instance of sneaking; a quiet, stealthy movement.
3. Informal A sneaker.
adj.
1. Carried out in a clandestine manner: sneak preparations for war.
2. Perpetrated without warning: a sneak attack.
[Probably akin to Middle English sniken, to creep, from Old English snīcan.]
Usage Note: Snuck is an Americanism first introduced in the 1800s as a nonstandard regional variant of sneaked. Snuck probably arose in imitation of the pattern set by stick/stuck and strike/struck. Widespread use of snuck in the United States has become more common with every generation. It is now used by educated speakers in all regions and was acceptable to 75 percent of the Usage Panel in our 2008 survey. This stands in marked contrast to the 67 percent that disapproved of snuck twenty years earlier. The more traditional form sneaked, which predominates in British English, is fully acceptable as well, with 90 percent approving it in 2008.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
sneak
(sniːk)vb
1. (intr; often foll by along, off, in, etc) to move furtively
2. (intr) to behave in a cowardly or underhand manner
3. (tr) to bring, take, or put stealthily
4. (intr) informal chiefly Brit to tell tales (esp in schools)
5. (tr) informal to steal
6. (intr; foll by off, out, away, etc) informal to leave unobtrusively
n
7. a person who acts in an underhand or cowardly manner, esp as an informer
8.
a. a stealthy act or movement
b. (as modifier): a sneak attack.
9. informal Brit an unobtrusive departure
[Old English snīcan to creep; from Old Norse snīkja to hanker after]
ˈsneaky adj
ˈsneakily adv
ˈsneakiness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
sneak
(snik)v. sneaked or snuck, sneak•ing,
n., adj. v.i.
1. to go in a stealthy or furtive manner; slink; skulk.
2. to act in a furtive or underhand way.
v.t. 3. to move, put, pass, etc., in a stealthy or furtive manner: He sneaked the gun into his pocket.
4. to do, take, or have hurriedly or surreptitiously: to sneak a cigarette.
n. 5. a sneaking, underhand, or contemptible person.
6. a stealthy or furtive departure.
adj. 8. stealthy; surreptitious: a sneak raid.
[1590–1600; obscurely akin to Middle English sniken, Old English snīcan to creep, c. Old Norse snīkja to hanker after]
syn: See lurk.
usage: First recorded in writing near the end of the 19th century in the U.S., snuck has become in recent decades a standard variant past tense and past participle: Bored by the lecture, we snuck out the side door. snuck occurs frequently in fiction, in journalism, and on radio and television, whereas sneaked is more likely in highly formal or belletristic writing. snuck is the only spoken past tense and past participle for many younger and middle-aged persons of all educational levels in the U.S. and Canada. It has occasionally been considered nonstandard but is so widely used by professional writers and educated speakers that it can no longer be so regarded.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
sneak
Past participle: sneaked
Gerund: sneaking
| Imperative |
|---|
| sneak |
| sneak |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | sneak - a person who is regarded as underhanded and furtive and contemptible disagreeable person, unpleasant person - a person who is not pleasant or agreeable |
| 2. |  sneak - someone who prowls or sneaks about; usually with unlawful intentionsinterloper, intruder, trespasser - someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission | |
| 3. | sneak - someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police | |
| Verb | 1. | sneak - to go stealthily or furtively; "..stead of sneaking around spying on the neighbor's house" walk - use one's feet to advance; advance by steps; "Walk, don't run!"; "We walked instead of driving"; "She walks with a slight limp"; "The patient cannot walk yet"; "Walk over to the cabinet" slip away, sneak away, sneak off, sneak out, steal away - leave furtively and stealthily; "The lecture was boring and many students slipped out when the instructor turned towards the blackboard" |
| 2. | sneak - put, bring, or take in a secretive or furtive manner; "sneak a look"; "sneak a cigarette" | |
| 3. |  sneak - make off with belongings of others steal - take without the owner's consent; "Someone stole my wallet on the train"; "This author stole entire paragraphs from my dissertation" | |
| 4. | sneak - pass on stealthily; "He slipped me the key when nobody was looking" | |
| Adj. | 1. | sneak - marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed; "a furtive manner"; "a sneak attack"; "stealthy footsteps"; "a surreptitious glance at his watch" concealed - hidden on any grounds for any motive; "a concealed weapon"; "a concealed compartment in his briefcase" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
sneak
verb
noun
1. informer, grass (Brit. slang), betrayer, telltale, squealer (slang), Judas, accuser, stool pigeon, snake in the grass, nark (Brit., Austral., & N.Z. slang) He is disloyal, distrustful and a sneak.
adjective
1. secret, quick, clandestine, furtive, stealthy We can give you this exclusive sneak preview.
sneak up on something or someone creep up on, take by surprise, tiptoe up on I managed to sneak up on him.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
sneak
verb1. To move silently and furtively:
Slang: gumshoe.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
sneak
[sniːk]A. VT to sneak sth out of a place → sacar algo furtivamente de un lugar
I managed to sneak one in → logré meter uno sin ser visto
to sneak a look at sth → mirar algo de reojo or soslayo
I managed to sneak one in → logré meter uno sin ser visto
to sneak a look at sth → mirar algo de reojo or soslayo
B. VI
1. to sneak about → ir a hurtadillas, moverse furtivamente
to sneak in/out → entrar/salir a hurtadillas
to sneak away or off → escabullirse
to sneak off with sth → llevarse algo furtivamente
to sneak up on sb → acercarse sigilosamente a algn
to sneak in/out → entrar/salir a hurtadillas
to sneak away or off → escabullirse
to sneak off with sth → llevarse algo furtivamente
to sneak up on sb → acercarse sigilosamente a algn
C. N (= tale-teller) → chivato/a m/f, soplón/ona m/f
D. CPD sneak preview N [of film] → preestreno m; (gen) → anticipo m no autorizado
sneak thief N → ratero/a m/f
sneak visit N → visita f furtiva
sneak thief N → ratero/a m/f
sneak visit N → visita f furtiva
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
sneak
(sniːk) verb1. to go quietly and secretly, especially for a dishonest purpose. He must have sneaked into my room when no-one was looking and stolen the money.moverse sigilosamente
2. to take secretly. He sneaked the letter out of her drawer.sacar a escondidas
nounˈsneakers noun plural soft shoes with soles made of rubber, rope etc. He was wearing blue jeans and sneakers.zapatillas
ˈsneaking adjective (of a feeling) slight but not easy to suppress. She knew he was wicked but she had a sneaking admiration for his courage.secreto
ˈsneaky adjectiveIt was a bit sneaky of him to tell the teacher about me.mezquino
ˈsneakiness nounKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.