spy

1 of 2

verb

ˈspī 

spied; spying

transitive verb

1

: to watch secretly usually for hostile purposes

2

: to catch sight of : see

3

: to search or look for intensively

—usually used with out

spy out places fit for vending … goods

—S. E. Morison

intransitive verb

1

: to observe or search for something : look

2

: to watch secretly as a spy

spy

2 of 2

noun

plural spies

1

: one that spies:

a

: one who keeps secret watch on a person or thing to obtain information

b

: a person employed by one nation to secretly convey classified information of strategic importance to another nation

also : a person who conveys the trade secrets of one company to another

2

: an act of spying

Synonyms

Verb

• behold
• catch
• descry
• discern
• distinguish
• espy
• eye
• look (at)
• note
• notice
• observe
• perceive
• regard
• remark
• see
• sight
• spot
• view
• witness

Noun

• agent
• asset
• emissary
• intelligencer
• mole
• operative
• spook
• undercover

Examples of spy in a Sentence

Verb

They were accused of spying for a foreign government.

I spy a motel off in the distance, so let's spend the night there.

Noun

He was a spy for the CIA.

My coworker is a spy for the boss.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Claire comes home one day from spying and finds Lord John in tears, meeting with a captain from the Royal Navy. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 29 Nov. 2024

At the same time, Ukrainian authorities have become increasingly suspicious of anyone with links to the Russian Orthodox Church, arresting and convicting clergymen of spying for Moscow. —Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024

Noun

Netflix has also dropped a very festive teaser for (the upcoming) season 2 of the spy series. —Charley Ross, Glamour, 20 Dec. 2024

It's based on a French series, Le Bureau, possibly one of the best TV series of all time, but with differences in tone: Le Bureau's headquarters was a crowded warren of conference rooms and offices, which kept you tightly focused on the spies' intricate moves. —Tom Gliatto, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English spien, from Anglo-French espier, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German spehōn to spy; akin to Latin specere to look, look at, Greek skeptesthai & skopein to watch, look at, consider

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing spy

• spy on
• spy out
• spy out the land

Kids Definition

spy

1 of 2 verb

ˈspī 

spied; spying

1

: to watch, inspect, or examine secretly : act as a spy

2

: to catch sight of : see

spied a friend in the crowd

spy

2 of 2 noun

plural spies

1

: one that watches the movement or actions of others especially in secret

2

: a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country