slink

American  

[slingk] / slɪŋk /

verb (used without object)

slunk, slank, slunk, slinking

1. to move or go in a furtive, abject manner, as from fear, cowardice, or shame.

   Synonyms:

   lurk, sneak, skulk

2. to walk or move in a slow, sinuous, provocative way.

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verb (used with object)

slunk, slank, slunk, slinking

1. (especially of cows) to bring forth (young) prematurely.

noun

1. a prematurely born calf or other animal.

adjective

1. born prematurely.

   a slink calf.

slink British  

/ slɪŋk /

verb

1. (intr) to move or act in a furtive or cringing manner from or as if from fear, guilt, etc

2. (intr) to move in a sinuous alluring manner

3. (tr) (of animals, esp cows) to give birth to prematurely

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noun

1. 1. an animal, esp a calf, born prematurely

   2. ( as modifier )

      slink veal

Other Word Forms

• outslink verb (used with object)
• slinkingly adverb
• unslinking adjective

Etymology

Origin of slink

First recorded before 1150; Middle English slynken (verb), Old English slincan “to creep, crawl”; cognate with Low German slinken, German schlinken

Explanation

When you slink, you move in a deliberately quiet and sneaky way. You might slink into your physics class, hoping the teacher won't notice how late you are. Kids playing hide and seek will sometimes slink around the house, quietly searching for good hiding spots, and wild animals tend to slink through the woods or fields when they're stalking prey or trying to avoid becoming prey themselves. Slink comes from the Old English word slincan, "to creep or crawl," which was mostly used to describe the movements of reptiles.

Example Sentences

But each time the net seemed to be closing in on Neukgu, he would slink off the radar.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

“Upon encountering humans, the snakes’ first inclination is to slink away, but they will strike if suddenly disturbed or cornered,” a 1991 Times report said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

Every now and then, he watched people pull into the gas station and slink back in the car for their drive of shame.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 3, 2026

“Being plainclothes, we could kind of slink around and, you know, do what we had to do,” he said.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2024

We bundle up, sneak out the back, and slink into the little brick lane behind Morning Glory Cottage.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

Related Words

• lurk
• meander
• prowl
• sidle
• skitter
• skulk
• slither
• sneak
• undulate