The word 偷窥狂 is formed by combining the character 偷, meaning "secretly", with 窥, meaning "to peek" or "to spy", creating the compound 偷窥, which means "to spy secretly". The addition of 狂, meaning "madman" or "obsessive enthusiast", specifies a person who compulsively engages in this act, resulting in the term for "voyeur" or "peeping tom".