spying

spying — verb

1. to secretly watch a country, government, or organization in order to collect inf

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to secretly watch a country, government, or organization in order to collect information and pass it to another party, usually a rival or enemy.

Example

A foreign journalist was arrested and charged with spying on military bases in the capital.

collocation: charged with spying on

During the Cold War, Hassan spied for his government while working abroad as a diplomat.

pattern: spy + for + employer country

Common collocations
  • spy on a country
  • spy on a government
  • spy for a foreign power
  • spy for an intelligence agency
  • engage in spying
  • accuse someone of spying
  • be charged with spying
  • spying network
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

spy + on + country/organization (target)

spy + for + country/organization (employer)

Usage Note

Subject is typically a person who works for an intelligence service. The preposition on marks the target being watched; for marks the employer that receives the information. This sense is also commonly used in legal contexts: charged with spying, accused of spying.

Common Mistakes

He was arrested for spying against the government.
He was arrested for spying on the government.
The preposition for introduces the employer, not the target. Use on for the party being watched.

2. to secretly watch a person in order to find out what they are doing, especially

2.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to secretly watch a person in order to find out what they are doing, especially when the watcher has no right to know.

Example

Andrew caught his younger brother spying on a private conversation through the bedroom door.

collocation: catch someone spying on

A jealous neighbour was seen spying on the family with a pair of binoculars.

Common collocations
  • spy on a neighbour
  • spy on a partner
  • spy on someone's activities
  • catch someone spying
  • spy through a window
Synonyms
  • snoop on

    less serious; often used for casual or nosy behaviour rather than systematic watching

  • eavesdrop on

    refers specifically to listening, not watching

  • watch secretly

    more literal and less idiomatic

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

spy + on + person / personal activity

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1 (SECRET INTELLIGENCE), this sense applies to personal or domestic situations — watching a neighbour, partner, or colleague. The object is typically a single person or their private activity, not a country or organization.

Common Mistakes

The government was spying in its citizens.
The government was spying on its citizens.
Spying always takes on (target), not in.

3. to manage to see someone or something that is difficult to notice because they a

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to manage to see someone or something that is difficult to notice because they are far away, partly hidden, or moving quickly.

Example

From the cliff top, Ayesha spied a pod of dolphins swimming far out at sea.

pattern: spied + noun phrase (distant object)

Through the binoculars, Christopher spied a rare bird perched on a distant branch.

Common collocations
  • spy a figure in the distance
  • spy a familiar face
  • spy something in the crowd
  • spy land on the horizon
Synonyms
  • spot

    everyday equivalent; less literary and more common in conversation

  • catch sight of

    emphasises the effort or brief duration of seeing

  • glimpse

    verb form; suggests a very brief view, often of something moving

Antonyms
  • miss

    to fail to see something

Grammar Patterns

spy + noun phrase (object seen with effort)

Usage Note

This sense is the only transitive use of spying — it takes a direct object without a preposition and the verb appears in past tense (spied) more often than in -ing form. Distinguish from sense 2: here the watching is accidental or observational, not secretive or hostile.

Common Mistakes

I spied my friend at the dinner party.' (too formal for a casual situation)
I spotted my friend at the dinner party.
Spy in this sense carries a literary or narrative tone; spot is the everyday word for noticing.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words relate to the secret collection of information, but they differ in scope and formality. Espionage is the closest formal equivalent of spying and is the legal term for the crime of stealing state secrets. Surveillance refers to systematic watching of people or places, often by law enforcement with cameras or trackers; it is not necessarily secret or hostile. Intelligence-gathering is the broadest term and includes both covert spying and open-source analysis of public data. Reconnaissance is military reconnaissance — a field survey of enemy positions before an operation, usually short-term and tactical. In everyday usage, spying is the most direct and common word. Example: "The CIA officer was convicted of espionage, but the police department's surveillance of the suspect was perfectly legal."

espionage ↗surveillance ↗intelligence-gatheringreconnaissance

Common collocations

Nouns

  • activities
  • operations
  • network
  • charges
  • allegations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • engage in spying
  • accuse of spying
  • be charged with spying
  • suspect of spying
  • spy on someone's activities
  • spy for a foreign power

Prepositions

  • on (target)
  • for (employer)

Etymology

Proto-GermanicFrankishOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Spying comes from the verb spy, which entered English in the 1200s through Old French espier (to watch, observe secretly). The French word came from Frankish *spehōn, a Germanic root meaning to watch or peer at. This same root produced German spähen (to spy) and Dutch spieden (to spy). The -ing ending turns the verb into a noun or present participle, so spying describes the activity itself. The 'catch sight of' meaning developed later, in the 1600s, as a natural extension of watching carefully until something becomes visible.