# peep

/ˈpip/ (US) · /pˈiːp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/peep
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. to look secretly

verb · CEFR B2

to look at something quickly or secretly, often through a small opening.

For teachers: to look cautiously or furtively, as through a narrow aperture or from a place of concealment.

- The children tried to peep through the hole in the wooden fence.
- He couldn't resist the urge to peep through the heavy velvet curtains to see if the audience had begun to arrive.

### 2. to check out

verb · CEFR C1 · Slang

to look at or notice something interesting.

For teachers: to observe, examine, or take notice of something; often used as an imperative to draw attention.

- You should peep that new video I sent you earlier.
- Peep the way the light hits the architecture at this time of day; it is exactly what the photographer was talking about.

### 3. to make a sound

verb · CEFR B2

to make a short, high-pitched sound like a baby bird.

For teachers: to utter a short, shrill, or faint sound characteristic of a fledgling bird or a small creature.

- The tiny chicks began to peep as soon as they saw their mother.
- The silence of the morning was broken only by the occasional peep of a bird nesting in the eaves.

### 4. a quick look

noun · CEFR B2

a quick or secret look at something.

For teachers: a brief or furtive look; a glimpse.

- I took a quick peep at my birthday presents while my parents were out.
- After taking a cautious peep around the corner, the guard decided the corridor was safe to enter.

### 5. a small sound or complaint

noun · CEFR B2

a very quiet sound or a small complaint.

For teachers: a slight sound, utterance, or complaint; frequently used in the negative to indicate total silence or lack of protest.

- I don't want to hear another peep out of you until you finish your dinner.
- The proposal was passed without a peep from the opposition, much to the surprise of the local journalists.

## Examples

- I took a quick peep through the curtains to see who was there.
- The children tried to get a peep at their birthday presents hidden in the top of the closet.
- After hours of waiting in the blind, the photographer finally caught a peep of the rare leopard emerging from the dense undergrowth.

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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.