spying
word · lemma: spy
/ˈspaɪɪŋ/
SPY-ing
/spˈaɪɪŋ/
SPY-ing
Definition
The act of secretly watching or gathering information about people, groups, or countries, usually for political or military reasons.
Usage & Nuances
Mostly used in contexts of international relations, government, or secret activities. It can also describe personal invasions of privacy. Collocations: 'spying on', 'spying activities', 'accused of spying'. Not the same as 'spying' in a playful sense—usually serious.
Spanish: espionajePortuguese (BR): espionagemPortuguese (PT): espionagemChinese (Simplified): 间谍活动Chinese (Traditional): 間諜活動Hindi: जासूसीArabic: تجسسBengali: গোয়েন্দাগিরি - জাসুসি করাRussian: шпионажJapanese: スパイ活動Vietnamese: hoạt động gián điệp - do thámKorean: 스파이 행위 - 간첩 행위Turkish: casuslukUrdu: جاسوسیIndonesian: mata-mata - memata-matai
Example Sentences
These days, digital spying happens all the time online.
natural
He suspected his phone was being used for spying.
natural
Spying isn’t just for movies—sometimes it happens in real life too.
natural
He was arrested for spying on the government.
basic
Spying is illegal in many countries.
basic
She was caught spying on her neighbor.
basic