sneak

/sniːk/ (bre, ipa) · /sniːk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsnēk/ (ame, mw)

sneak — 動詞

  • sneakpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • sneakshe / she / it
  • sneakedpast simple
  • sneaking-ing form

1. to move quietly and without attracting notice when going to, from, or past a pla

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

潛入;溜走

祕密移動或帶入某人某物

to move quietly and without attracting notice when going to, from, or past a place; or to bring, take, or put a person or thing somewhere without being seen or caught.

例句

Ravindra sneaked out of the house while his parents were asleep.

Ravindra 趁父母睡著時偷偷溜出家門。

intransitive: sneak out of [place]

Henrik sneaked his phone into the exam room without anyone noticing.

Henrik 趁沒人注意,把手機偷偷帶進考場。

transitive: sneak [object] into [place]

同義詞
  • creep

    implies moving slowly and quietly, often to avoid being heard, but not necessarily in secret

  • slink

    suggests moving guiltily or nervously, as if ashamed

  • tiptoe

    focuses on walking quietly on the toes, not necessarily in secret

反義詞
  • march

    to walk in a determined, confident way with regular steps

  • stroll

    to walk in a relaxed way without trying to hide

文法句型

sneak + adverb/preposition

sneak + object + adverb/preposition

sneak up on + object

用法筆記

Common in the pattern sneak + adverb/preposition (out, in, past, around, up). The past tense can be sneaked (standard) or snuck (informal, especially in American English).

常見錯誤

I sneaked up to him from behind.
I sneaked up on him from behind.
💡Use 'sneak up on', not 'sneak up to', to describe approaching someone unseen.

2. to inform a person in authority, such as a teacher or parent, about another pers

2.動詞不及物B1
釋義

打小報告

向師長等告發別人的不當行為

to inform a person in authority, such as a teacher or parent, about another person's behaviour that breaks rules, often in a way that others consider mean or dishonourable.

例句

Romi sneaked on her younger brother for eating sweets before dinner.

Romi 向媽媽告狀,說弟弟晚飯前偷吃糖果。

sneak on [someone] + for doing [something]

Omar sneaked to the principal about the students smoking behind the gym.

Omar 向校長打小報告,說有學生在體育館後面抽菸。

同義詞
  • tattle

    more common in American English; often used between children

  • tell on

    neutral phrasal verb, common in both British and American English

  • inform on

    more formal and serious, used in legal or adult contexts

反義詞
  • cover up

    to hide someone's wrongdoing instead of reporting it

文法句型

sneak on + person

sneak to + authority figure

用法筆記

Primarily used by and about children in British English. This sense has a strong negative connotation — the person who sneaks is seen as untrustworthy. In American English, tattle (on) is more common.

常見錯誤

She sneaked the teacher about the cheating.
She sneaked to the teacher about the cheating.
💡The preposition 'to' is needed before the authority figure.

3. to direct a quick, secret glance at a person or thing that you are not supposed

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

偷看;窺視

快速而祕密地看某人或某物

to direct a quick, secret glance at a person or thing that you are not supposed to be looking at.

例句

Vinícius sneaked a look at the test paper when the teacher turned around.

Vinícius 趁老師轉身時偷偷看了一眼考卷。

sneak a look at [something]

Tamar sneaked a peek at the birthday presents hidden in the wardrobe.

Tamar 偷偷瞄了一眼藏在衣櫃裡的生日禮物。

同義詞
  • peek

    a verb on its own, not needing an object noun: 'He peeked at the answers'

  • glance

    a quick look that may or may not be secret

文法句型

sneak a look at + object

sneak a peek at + object

sneak a glance at + object

用法筆記

Always used with a following noun phrase describing the act of looking: a look, a peek, a glance. The object of the look is typically introduced by at.

常見錯誤

He sneaked at the answers.
He sneaked a look at the answers.
💡You need 'a look', 'a peek', or 'a glance' after 'sneaked'; 'sneak' alone does not mean 'look'.

4. to take something without permission, especially something small or of little va

4.動詞及物B1
釋義

偷拿

未經許可拿走小而不貴重的物品

to take something without permission, especially something small or of little value, often in a way meant to avoid being noticed.

例句

Someone sneaked Reema's lunch from the office fridge yesterday.

昨天有人偷偷拿走了 Reema 放在辦公室冰箱的午餐。

sneak [object] from [place]

Tamar sneaked a few coins from her mother's purse when she was not looking.

Tamar 趁媽媽不注意時從她的錢包裡偷拿了幾個硬幣。

同義詞
  • pilfer

    a more formal word for stealing small items

  • swipe

    informal verb meaning to steal quickly

反義詞

文法句型

sneak + object + from + person/place

用法筆記

Unlike steal, sneak emphasises the secrecy and the small scale of the taking rather than the legal seriousness. The object taken is usually something like food, money, or a small item.

常見錯誤

Someone sneaked my car from the parking lot.
Someone stole my car from the parking lot.
💡'Sneak' implies something small or unimportant; for valuable items use 'steal'.

sneak — 名詞

sneak — 形容詞