peek

1 of 2

verb

peeked; peeking; peeks

intransitive verb

1
a
: to look furtively
A little girl peeked around the corner of the chair at him.
b
: to peer through a crack or hole or from a place of concealment
often used with in or out
peeked in through the windowJ. M. Flagler
peeked out at us from behind the curtainsWinifred Bambrick
2
: to take a brief look : glance
peeked ahead to the next chapter to see what would happen

peek

2 of 2

noun

1
: a furtive look
2
: a brief look : glance

Did you know?

Peek vs. Peak vs. Pique

Peek, peak, and pique: they sound the same but mean very different things.

The first one we learn is peek: it has to do with looking, especially furtively or quickly or through a small space, as in "open the box and peek inside." It's both a noun and a verb; when you peek, you take a peek. Our advice for remembering this one is to keep in mind that you peek in order to see.

Peak is the verb you use to talk about reaching a maximum, or coming to a highest point, literally or figuratively, as in "The meteor shower will last for several days but will peak on Sunday." Its noun counterpart, which refers to various pointed or projecting parts, is more common: something that peaks reaches a peak. Just as every mountain has a peak, thinking of the peak—the highest point—is the way to remember that peak is the choice for reaching the highest levels. Associating the "a" in peak with the "a" in maximum or with a capital "A" (the most mountain-like of letters) can be helpful.

Pique is the oddball of this trio. We know the "ique" spelling from the likes of technique, antique, and unique, but pique nonetheless looks a little exotic. It comes from a French word meaning literally "to prick," but its earliest English use was as a noun. The noun is still used: a pique is a transient feeling of wounded vanity—a kind of resentment. As a verb, pique was (and still is, especially in British English) used to mean "to arouse anger or resentment in," as in "Their rudeness piqued me." Now, however, it's most often our interest or curiosity that gets piqued—that is to say, our interest or curiosity is aroused, as in "The large key hanging next on the wall piqued my curiosity."

Pique has another meaning too, though it's less common than any of those already mentioned. Pique sometimes is used to mean "to take pride in (oneself)," as in "She piques herself on her editing skills."

Master this trio, and you can pique yourself on your word skills.

Examples of peek in a Sentence

Verb A little girl peeked around the corner of the chair at him. Close your eyes, and no peeking! She peeked ahead to the next chapter to see what happened next. He allowed some of his friends to peek at his next painting. Noun took a peek at her Christmas gift hidden in the closet
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Stunning rock formations and blue skies peek out in the background. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024 Others peek around and then drop their heads again. Michael Wilson, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024 Others peeked out windows to find out what was happening. Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 17 Mar. 2024 Little gnomes peek out from behind the plants, just one of Ataçocuğu’s affectionate touches. Alaa Elassar, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 Once the Sun begins peeking out, observers should put their eclipse glasses back on to watch the remaining partial phase of the eclipse. George Dvorsky / Gizmodo, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 The jeans and body suits that kind of peek out the top. Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 Two bunnies, one on top of the bowls and the other peeking out from inside a bowl, complete the server for a lighthearted and sweet piece. Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2024 Big red dog, timid and adorable, peeking between the buildings. Devin Kelly, Longreads, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
Get a bigger hint: Subscribers can take a peek at the answer key. Sam Corbin, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024 Take a peek back in time The next day, the team and stadium filed their latest lawsuit seeking the injunction. Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 15 Mar. 2024 The dress' skirt included several layers, one of which created a slit that provided a peek at her leg that was covered by one layer of the sheer fabric. Stacy Lambe, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 On Wednesday, local media got an early peek at what the Current has planned for concessions at the stadium. David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 In the Bag video series, the Dune: Part Two star offered a peek inside her Valentino Maxi Vlogo Moon Nappa Leather Hobo bag and showed off Dr. Jart+’s Cryo Rubber face mask, which is available at the Korean beauty brand’s website and Sephora. Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Mar. 2024 These early peeks into the Fire Nation add depth to Zuko’s fractured family and his single-minded quest to come home. Devan Coggan, EW.com, 22 Feb. 2024 Dolly also shared several food photos from the book — like of crème brûlée, biscuits, and a string bean-mushroom casserole — giving readers a peek at what to expect when the book is released in the fall. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Glass also gave the audience a peek into his own listening habits. Ariel Shapiro, The Verge, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'peek.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English piken

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1636, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of peek was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near peek

Cite this Entry

“Peek.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peek. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

peek

verb
ˈpēk
1
: to look cautiously or briefly
2
: to look through a crack or hole or from a hiding place
peek noun

More from Merriam-Webster on peek

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