leak
leak — verb
1. When a container, pipe, roof, or similar object leaks, it has a small hole or cr
When a container, pipe, roof, or similar object leaks, it has a small hole or crack that lets a liquid, gas, or light pass through it, either entering or escaping from where it should be contained.
Rodrigo noticed the pipe in the basement was leaking rusty water into the sink.
leak + substance (rusty water) + into + place
If the boat leaks too much, it will take on water and begin to sink.
intransitive: boat (container) leaks
Yan's old bicycle tyre leaks air slowly, so she pumps it every morning before school.
leak + substance (air) as direct object
The gas alarm sounded because the stove leaked gas through a crack in the hose.
leak + gas + through + crack (prepositional structure)
- leak water/oil/gas/air/light
- leak from a pipe/roof/container
- leak into the room/ground/water
- leak through a crack/hole
Grammar Patterns
leak + substance (object)
leak + from/through/into + place
leak + out (intransitive phrasal verb)
Common Mistakes
2. When secret, private, or confidential information leaks or is leaked, it becomes
When secret, private, or confidential information leaks or is leaked, it becomes known to people who were not supposed to have access to it — often through an intentional disclosure or a careless mistake.
Bilal was dismissed after he leaked the company's financial report to a competitor.
leak + report (object) + to + competitor (recipient)
Details of the new console were leaked online a week before the official announcement.
passive: details were leaked + adverb (online) + time phrase
Tamar's assistant accidentally leaked the names of the shortlisted candidates to the whole office.
leak + names (object) + to + recipient (whole office)
News of the merger leaked out before the board had finished discussing the terms.
leak out (intransitive phrasal verb — information becomes known)
- leak a secret/report/document/memo
- leak to the press/media/public
- leak classified/confidential/sensitive information
Grammar Patterns
leak + secret/information/details/documents (object)
leak + to + person/organisation/media
leak out (intransitive, information becomes known)
Common Mistakes
leak out
phrasal verbWhen secret information becomes known to people, especially gradually and despite efforts to keep it hidden.
Despite the company's efforts to keep the product a secret, details leaked out through social media.
News of the captain's retirement leaked out during the post-match interview with a reporter.
leak — noun
1. A leak is a small hole, crack, or damaged area in a container, pipe, roof, or si
A leak is a small hole, crack, or damaged area in a container, pipe, roof, or similar object that lets a liquid, gas, or light pass through it; the word can also refer to the substance that escapes through such an opening.
Aarav fixed a small leak in the bathroom pipe before it caused more damage.
fix a leak (common verb + noun collocation)
A gas leak in the kitchen forced the family to open the windows and call the fire department.
gas leak (common noun + noun compound)
Zuri checked the roof for leaks after the heavy storm damaged several roof tiles.
check for leaks (verb + preposition + noun collocation)
The leak in the ceiling had been dripping for weeks and needed urgent repair.
leak in + location (ceiling); slow dripping
- a leak in the pipe/roof/ceiling/tyre
- gas leak / water leak / oil leak / air leak
- fix/repair/stop/detect a leak
- spring a leak
Common Mistakes
2. A leak is the occasion when secret or private information is made known to the p
A leak is the occasion when secret or private information is made known to the public or to people who were not meant to have it; the word can also refer to the person who reveals such information.
The government launched an investigation to find the source of the security leak.
security leak (noun + noun compound)
A leak to the press revealed that the factory would close at the end of the year.
leak to the press (common collocation)
Erik refused to name his source, but the leak contained details of the department's budget cuts.
the leak contained + information (noun functioning as source of revelation)
Internal documents from the leak caused serious embarrassment for the mayor and his senior advisors.
documents from the leak (prepositional modifier describing the documents' origin)
- security leak / press leak / data leak
- source of the leak
- investigate a leak
- leak of information/documents
- disclosure
more neutral; can be authorised or unauthorised
- revelation
stresses the dramatic or surprising nature of the information
- whistleblowing
specific to exposing wrongdoing, often by an insider
- cover-up
an attempt to prevent something from becoming known
- suppression
the act of stopping information from being released
Common Mistakes
3. This slang use of 'leak' describes the act of passing urine. It appears almost e
This slang use of 'leak' describes the act of passing urine. It appears almost exclusively in the fixed expression 'take a leak'.
The little boy told his mother he needed to take a leak before the long car ride.
take a leak (fixed idiomatic phrase for urination)
After the long bus ride, several passengers got off to take a quick leak.
take a quick leak (with adjective modifier)
During the interval, Christopher left the theatre to take a leak before the second act.
informal register: take a leak in a public setting
Henry excused himself from the dinner table to take a quick leak before dessert.
take a leak in a social setting (informal)
- take a leak
- need to take a leak
Usage Note
This sense of 'leak' is a slang term for urination, almost always used in the fixed expression 'take a leak'. It is informal, sometimes humorous, and suitable only in casual conversation among friends or family. Avoid it in formal, medical, or professional contexts, where 'urinate' or 'use the restroom' would be more appropriate.
Common Mistakes
4. A leak is an instance or process of a liquid, gas, or other substance escaping f
A leak is an instance or process of a liquid, gas, or other substance escaping from a container or confined space through a hole or crack — describing the event of leaking rather than the hole itself.
The oil leak from the damaged tanker spread across the sea, threatening local wildlife.
oil leak (noun + noun compound describing the event)
A slow leak in the rear tyre meant the family stopped at a garage during their trip.
slow leak (adjective + noun describing gradual process)
The chemical leak at the factory triggered the alarm and workers were evacuated within minutes.
chemical leak (noun + noun compound describing type of event)
A leak of toxic waste into the river was discovered by a local environmental group.
leak of [substance] into [location] (prepositional structure)
- oil leak / gas leak / chemical leak / radiation leak
- a leak of oil/gas/toxic waste
- a slow leak (gradual)
- a major leak (serious)
- containment
keeping a substance inside where it belongs
Usage Note
Distinguish from noun sense 1 (HOLE/CRACK): this sense describes the event or process of something leaking, not the physical opening itself. For example, 'an oil leak' refers to oil escaping, whereas 'a leak in the pipe' refers to the hole that lets the oil out.
Word family
- leakyadjectiveB2
- leakagenounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
Leak, drip, seep, and escape all describe the movement of a substance out of a container or through a barrier, but they differ in manner and speed. Leak is the most general term — it describes any unintended exit through a hole or crack, whether fast or slow. Drip specifically means liquid falling in separate drops, one at a time. Seep describes slow, gradual movement through small pores or permeable material, often with a sense of soaking into a surface. Escape is commonly used for gases or smells that find their way out of confinement. For example: 'The pipe leaks water steadily' (general continuous flow). 'The tap drips all night' (drop by drop). 'Oil seeped through the concrete floor' (slow, soaking). 'Gas escaped from the ruptured cylinder' (sudden, finding a way out).
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'leak' comes from Middle English leken, which was borrowed from Old Norse leka, meaning 'to drip, to leak'. It is related to the Dutch lekken and German lecken, which carry the same meaning. English speakers have used the word for both liquid escapes and, since the 1800s, for the release of secret information.