# leaking

/ˈɫikɪŋ/ (US) · /lˈiːkɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/leaking
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. escaping liquid or gas

verb · CEFR B1

letting a liquid or gas escape through a hole or crack.

For teachers: the process of a fluid or gas escaping from a container or conduit through an unintended opening.

- The kitchen ceiling is leaking because of a broken pipe upstairs.
- Engineers identified a leaking valve in the cooling system, which had been causing a gradual drop in pressure over several weeks.

Usage: Often used in the continuous form to describe an ongoing problem.

### 2. sharing secrets

verb · CEFR B2

giving secret information to the public or the media.

For teachers: the unauthorised disclosure of confidential or sensitive information to the public or press.

- Someone is leaking the company's private plans to the newspapers.
- The administration launched an internal investigation to determine who was leaking classified documents to the international media.

### 3. the act of escaping

noun · CEFR B2

the act of something escaping through a hole.

For teachers: the occurrence or instance of a substance or information escaping from its intended containment.

- The constant leaking of the tap kept me awake all night.
- The sudden leaking of the chemical tank forced an immediate evacuation of the surrounding industrial park.

## Examples

- The kitchen ceiling is leaking because of the heavy rain.
- The plumber arrived quickly because the pipe was leaking water all over the basement floor.
- While the physical structure was leaking coolant at an alarming rate, the company was also leaking sensitive financial data to its primary competitors through an unencrypted server.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.