Leer (leer) (original) (raw)

Irregular inflected form: leer Listen to US pronunciation Listen to GB pronunciation

I. (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A suggestive or sneering look or grinplay

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("leer" is a kind of...):

aspect; expression; face; facial expression; look (the feelings expressed on a person's face)

Derivation:

leer (look suggestively or obliquely; look or gaze with a sly, immodest, or malign expression)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A facial expression of contempt or scorn; the upper lip curlsplay

Synonyms:

leer; sneer

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("leer" is a kind of...):

contempt; scorn (open disrespect for a person or thing)

Derivation:

leer (look suggestively or obliquely; look or gaze with a sly, immodest, or malign expression)

leery (openly distrustful and unwilling to confide)

II. (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Look suggestively or obliquely; look or gaze with a sly, immodest, or malign expressionplay

Example:

The men leered at the young women on the beach

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "leer" is one way to...):

look (perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

leer (a suggestive or sneering look or grin)

leer (a facial expression of contempt or scorn; the upper lip curls)

Credits

Context examples:

They received me and Peggotty in an affectionate manner, and shook hands with Mr. Barkis, who, with his hat on the very back of his head, and a shame-faced leer upon his countenance, and pervading his very legs, presented but a vacant appearance, I thought.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)