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sneak

   Also found in: Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.06 sec.
sneak  (snk)
v. sneaked also snuck (snk), 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 sncan.]
Usage Note: Snuck is an Americanism first introduced in the 19th century as a nonstandard regional variant of sneaked. Widespread use of snuck has become more common with every generation. It is now used by educated speakers in all regions. Formal written English is more conservative than other varieties, of course, and here snuck still meets with much resistance. Many writers and editors have a lingering unease about the form, particularly if they recall its nonstandard origins. And 67 percent of the Usage Panel disapproved of snuck in our 1988 survey. Nevertheless, an examination of recent sources shows that snuck is sneaking up on sneaked. Snuck was almost 20 percent more common in newspaper articles published in 1995 than it was in 1985. Snuck also appears in the work of many respected columnists and authors: "He ran up huge hotel bills and then snuck out without paying" (George Stade). "He had snuck away from camp with a cabinmate" (Anne Tyler). "I ducked down behind the paperbacks and snuck out" (Garrison Keillor).

sneak
Verb
1. to move quietly, trying not be noticed
2. to behave in a cowardly or underhand manner
3. to bring, take, or put secretly: we sneaked him over the border
4. Informal, chiefly Brit & NZ (esp. in schools) to tell tales
Noun
a person who acts in an underhand or cowardly manner
Adjective
without warning: a sneak attack [Old English snīcan to creep]
sneaky adj
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.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.sneaksneak - someone who prowls or sneaks about; usually with unlawful intentions
interloper, 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
betrayer, blabber, informer, squealer, rat - one who reveals confidential information in return for money
Verb1.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"
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"
act, move - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel"
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"
hand, pass on, turn over, pass, reach, give - place into the hands or custody of; "hand me the spoon, please"; "Turn the files over to me, please"; "He turned over the prisoner to his lawyers"
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"

sneak
verb 1. slink, slip, steal, pad, sidle, skulk
verb 2. slip, smuggle, spirit
noun 3. informer, grass Brit. (slang) betrayer, telltale, squealer (slang) Judas, accuser, stool pigeon, snake in the grass, nark Brit., Austral., N.Z. (slang) fizgig Austral. (slang)
Translations
sneak [sniːk] vi to sneak in/out → entrar/salir a hurtadillas vt to sneak a look at sth → mirar algo de reojo n (fam) → soplón/ona m/f

sneak [sniːk] (US) [snuck , pt ] vi to sneak in/out → entrer/sortir furtivement or à la dérobée vt to sneak a look at sth → regarder furtivement qch n (inf) (pej) (= informer); faux jeton;
to sneak up on sb → s'approcher de qn sans faire de bruit

sneak [sniːk] [snuck , pt ] (US) vi to sneak in/out → sich einschleichen/sich hinausschleichen vt to sneak a look at sth → heimlich auf etw acc schielen n (inf) (pej) → Petze f
sneak up sneak vi to sneak up on sb → sich an jdn heranschleichen

sneak [sniːk] vi to sneak in/out → entrare/uscire di nascosto vt to sneak a look at sth → guardare di sottecchi qc

sneak
v sneak [sniːk]
1 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. sluip إنْسَلَّ، تَسَلَّلَ промъквам (се) (v)plížit se snige sich schleichen κινούμαι στα κλεφτά, γλιστρώ moverse sigilosamente hiilima دزدكي رفت و آمد كردن livahtaa se faufiler furtivement לְהִתגַנֵב आंख बचाकर आना-जाना šuljati se settenkedik menyelinap læðast strisciare, andare furtivamente こそこそする 몰래 움직이다, 살금살금 들어가다 įsėlinti []lavīties menyelinap sluipen snike, liste seg, luske dostawać się chyłkiem, zakradać się esgueirar-se a se furişa прокрадываться vkradnúť sa vtihotapiti se ušunjati se smyga ทำลับ ๆ ล่อ ๆ sinsice sokulmak 潛行 підкрадатися خفیہ طریقے سے، بری نیت سے جانا trốn, lén
2 to take secretly He sneaked the letter out of her drawer. skelm uithaal إخْتَلَسَ، نَشَلَ، سَرَقَ отмъквам tajně vzít liste heimlich nehmen παίρνω κρυφά, σουφρώνω a escondidas sacar näppama يواشكي دزديدن kähveltää prendre furtivement לְהַגְנִיב चुपके से ले लेना ukrasti što, zdipiti elcsen mengambil diam-diam hnupla impossessarsi 盗む ...을 훔치다, 몰래 가져가다 nušvilpti nočiept mengambil senyap-senyap gappen nappe, rappe wykradać retirar a sustrage взять незаметно tajne vziať zmakniti krišom uzeti smyga, smussla แอบพาไป gizlice almak поцупити, украсти خاموشی سے چرا لینا ăn trộm, xoáy, lén
n
a mean, deceitful person, especially a telltale. verklikker خائِن، وَغْد подлец donašeč sladrehank die Petze μαρτυριάρης, δόλιος acusica, acusón, chivato, soplón pealekaebaja, pugeja خبرچين liero rapporteur/-euse נוֹכֵל מוּג-לֵב तुच्छ व्यक्ति podlac, tužibaba spicli pengadu læðupoki; kjaftaskjóða spia こそこそする人 비열한 사람; 고자질하는 사람 sukčius līdējs; sūdzībnieks penipu gluiperd, klikspaan sladrehank donosiciel, kanalia pessoa vil raportor ябеда, доносчик donášač ovaduh tužibaba skvallerbytta คนไม่น่าไว้ใจ fitneci kimse 鬼鬼祟祟的人 ябедник, фіскал چغل خور، دھوکے باز đứa hớt lẻo
n pl sneakers
soft shoes with soles made of rubber, rope etc He was wearing blue jeans and sneakers. seilskoene حِذاء ناعِم من المَطّاط гуменки tenisky gummisko; kondisko leichte Segeltuchschuhe (pl.) αθλητικά παπούτσια zapatillas tennised, tossud كفش كتاني kumitossut (chaussures de) tennis נַעַל הִתעַמלוּת रबड़ के तले वाला मुलायम जूता tenisice edzőcipő sepatu karet íþróttaskór, strigaskór scarpe da ginnastica スニーカー 고무창을 댄 신(농구화 등) sportiniai bateliai teniskurpes kasut snikers tennisschoenen jogge-/tøysko tenisówki sapatilhas pantofi de tenis теннисные тапочки tenisky teniški čevlji patike gymnastikskor รองเท้าผ้าใบส้นยาง keten ayakkabı 軟底鞋 кеди; тенісні туфлі نرم تلے کا کرمچ وغیرہ کا جوتا giầy để chơi quần vợt
adj sneaking
(of a feeling) slight but not easy to suppress She knew he was wicked but she had a sneaking admiration for his courage. heimlik خَفي، سِرّي скрит nepřiznaný lumsk heimlich ανομολόγητος secreto sala-, salajane يواشكي salainen inavoué לא גָלוּי उपहासजनक लेकिन अदम्य भावना potajan, nepriznat be nem vallott sedikit dulinn segreto ひそかな 비밀의, 내밀의 slaptas, paslėptas slepens; kluss sedikit heimelijk snikende, lumsk, hemmelig podświadomy secreto tainic, nemărturisit тайный, скрытый tichý skriven potajan outtalad, smygande ที่ซ่อนเร้น içten içe, gizli 暗藏心中的 таємний, потайний خفیہ، چھپا ڈھکا vụng trộm, thầm kín
adj sneaky
It was a bit sneaky of him to tell the teacher about me. onderduims ماكِر، مُخادِع подъл potměšilý lusket heimtückisch ύπουλος, κρυφός mezquino alatu آب زير كاه luihu sournois כָּרוּך בְּמִרמָה उपहासजनक podao, gadan alattomos licik lymskulegur; ómerkilegur meschino, vile 卑劣な 비열한, 천한 pasalūniškas nekrietni licik achterbaks sladderaktig, stygt gjort chytry, podstępny mesquinho viclean подлый potmehúdsky zahrbten podao skvallrig ซึ่งลับ ๆ ล่อ ๆ sinsi, hilekâr 鬼鬼祟祟的 боягузливий; підлий چپکے چپکے کارروائی کرنے والا lén lút, giấu giếm
n sneakiness
onderduimsheid مَكْر، خِداع подлост potměšilost luskethed die Heimtücke υπουλότητα mezquindad alatus آب زير كاهي luihuus sournoiserie חַמקָנוּת धोखेबाजी podlost, potajnost alattomosság kelicikan lymska meschineria こそこそすること 비열함, 천함 slaptumas, veikimas iš pasalų slepenība; nekrietnība kelicikan achterbaksheid listighet podłość, podstępność mesquinhez viclenie подлость potmehúdstvo zahrbtnost podlost smygande karaktär การหลบซ่อน sinsilik 鬼祟 потайливість گھنّاپن sự lén lút, sự giấu giếm


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
"Snouter the Sneak," replied the Object, with ready invention; "pick-pocket.
" 'Twa'n't about me, an' 'twa'n't sneak listenin'," bridled Jimmy.
Pay my bill and sneak off at once to the next town; but how pass through the grinning line of boots, and waiter, and chambermaid, and ironically respectful landlord and landlady, in the hall .
 
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