sneaking
sneaking Lexical Profile
sneaking Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Persistent in the mind but not openly acknowledged or fully expressed (especially of a suspicion, doubt, or admiration).
"I had a sneaking suspicion that the committee had already reached its decision before the meeting began."
Acting or done in a stealthy, furtive, or underhanded manner.
"The novel portrays the clerk as a sneaking opportunist who takes credit for his colleagues' work."
• verb
To move, go, or convey in a stealthy, quiet, or furtive way so as to avoid notice (present participle of sneak).
"We caught the cat sneaking into the pantry to investigate the open bag of treats."
• noun
The act or practice of moving or acting in a furtive, stealthy, or secretive manner.
"Their constant sneaking around the hallways after curfew eventually caught the supervisor's attention."
Word Nuance & Usage
In the sense of an unacknowledged feeling or intuition, 'sneaking' is used exclusively as an attributive adjective before a noun (especially in collocations such as 'a sneaking suspicion', 'a sneaking regard', or 'a sneaking admiration').