lurked; lurking; lurks
1
a
: to lie in wait in a place of concealment especially for an evil purpose
someone out there lurking in the shadows
b
: to move furtively or inconspicuously
shall I lurk about this country like a thief?—
Henry Fielding
Henry Fielding
c
: to persist in staying
the excitement of the first act still lurking in the air—Richard Fletcher
Richard FletcherSomething about the smile lurking on Malfoy's face during the next week made Harry, Ron, and Hermione very nervous.—J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling2
a
: to be concealed but capable of being discovered
specifically
: to constitute a latent threat
What evil lurks in the hearts of men?
b
: to lie hidden
Malaria lurked in the marshes.
3
: to read messages without contributing on an Internet discussion forum (see forum sense 1c) (such as a newsgroup or chat room) or social media platform (such as Facebook or Twitter)
You can tweet as much as you want or lurk without comment, though consistent tweeting and audience engagement are key to attracting and keeping followers.—Charlotte Abbott
Charlotte AbbottSynonyms
Examples of lurk in a Sentence
She could tell there was someone out there lurking in the shadows.
we caught a glimpse of someone lurking around the corner
Recent Examples on the Web
Observations from Chandra have also revealed fluorescence on planets in the solar system, and where mysterious dark matter lurks in a cluster of galaxies.
—Briley Lewis, Popular Science, 25 Apr. 2024
The Veil leans a little too much into the postcard versions of the cities, especially Paris, where the Eiffel Tower is just lurking in the background of every wide shot — like Peter Lorre’s character in M minus the ominous whistling.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lurk 
Briley Lewis, Popular Science, 25 Apr. 2024
The Veil leans a little too much into the postcard versions of the cities, especially Paris, where the Eiffel Tower is just lurking in the background of every wide shot — like Peter Lorre’s character in M minus the ominous whistling.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lurk
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lurk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lurk
Cite this Entry
“Lurk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lurk. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lurk
verb1
a
: to stay in or about a place secretly
b
: to move quietly and secretly
2
: to lie concealed
especially
: to be a hidden threat
lurker
noun
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