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

Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope to spy fireworks of light radiating near the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 23 Feb. 2025

Tai and Van have a similar experience when Tai spies the Man With No Eyes in a commercial for Ozzie’s Ice Cream Shop. —Erin Qualey, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025

Noun

The titular protagonist is a former military spy turned maverick detective and, importantly, bookshop owner. —Jamie Lang, Variety, 25 Feb. 2025

First came Witness by the American journalist Whittaker Chambers, a former communist and Soviet spy who eventually broke with the party and became a political conservative. —Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025

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

Rhymes for spy

• ai
• aye
• bae
• bi
• buy
• by
• bye
• chai
• chi
• cry
• die
• dry

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