sneak

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /sniːk/ See IPA manual

Freq #3623

Meanings

1

verb
To move quietly and secretly so that no one notices you.

He tried to sneak into the house without waking his parents.
2

verb
To take or bring something secretly.

She sneaked a chocolate bar into the cinema.
3

noun
A person who does things secretly or behaves in a dishonest way.

My little brother is such a sneak; he read my diary.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Multiword verbs with sneak

sneak off Phrasal verb B2

to leave quietly and secretly so that others do not notice

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to move quietly and... creep slink steal

More hakescungeshugskulk slive tiptoe

Word family

Forms sneakedsneakingsneakssneaky

Derived forms goalsneaksneak-cupsneakagesneakboxsneakersneakerysneakflationsneakilysneakinesssneakishsneaksmansneaksome

Related forms covert

Appears in

Phrases (2)

See all

Etymology

Possibly from Middle English sniken (“to creep, crawl”), from Old English snīcan (“to creep, crawl”), from Proto-West Germanic *snīkan, from Proto-Germanic *snīkaną (“to creep, crawl”), which is related to the root of snake. Compare Danish snige (“to sneak”), Swedish snika (“to sneak, hanker after”), Icelandic sníkja (“to sneak, hanker after”). Possibly related to snitch.

sniken Middle English snīcan Old English *snīkan Proto-West Germanic *snīkaną Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# sneak

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /sniːk/
**Frequency rank:** 3623

## Meanings
1. To move quietly and secretly so that no one notices you.
2. To take or bring something secretly.
3. A person who does things secretly or behaves in a dishonest way.

## Examples
- He tried to sneak into the house without waking his parents.
- She sneaked a chocolate bar into the cinema.
- My little brother is such a sneak; he read my diary.

## Synonyms
- creep
- hake
- scunge
- shug
- skulk
- slink
- slive
- steal
- tiptoe

## Derived Forms
- goalsneak
- sneak-cup
- sneakage
- sneakbox
- sneaker
- sneakery
- sneakflation
- sneakily
- sneakiness
- sneakish
- sneaksman
- sneaksome

## Related Forms
- covert

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: sniken
- Root: snīcan
- Root: *snīkan
- Root: *snīkaną

## Etymology
Possibly from Middle English sniken (“to creep, crawl”), from Old English snīcan (“to creep, crawl”), from Proto-West Germanic *snīkan, from Proto-Germanic *snīkaną (“to creep, crawl”), which is related to the root of snake. Compare Danish snige (“to sneak”), Swedish snika (“to sneak, hanker after”), Icelandic sníkja (“to sneak, hanker after”). Possibly related to snitch.

## AI Etymology
Sneak: Possibly from Middle English sniken (“to creep, crawl”), from Old English snīcan (“to creep, crawl”), from Proto-West Germanic *snīkan, from Proto-Germanic *snīkaną (“to creep, crawl”), which is related to the root of snake. Compare Danish snige (“to sneak”), Swedish snika (“to sneak, hanker after”), Icelandic sníkja (“to sneak, hanker after”). Possibly related to snitch. Important forms in the word's history include Middle English sniken, Old English snīcan, Proto-West Germanic *snīkan, Proto-Germanic *snīkaną. In current use it includes senses such as To move quietly and secretly so that no one notices you and To take or bring something secretly.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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