What does "spy" mean?
A person who secretly watches and examines the actions of other individuals or organizations and gathers information on them (usually to gain an advantage).
Spy
/spaɪ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person who secretly watches and examines the actions of other individuals or organizations and gathers information on them (usually to gain an advantage).
- Grammar: spy is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: ninja, agent, agent, be vigilant.
- Useful contrasts: disclose, ignore, innocent bystander.
- Usage evidence: White was denounced to the police as a spy.
How to use "spy"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "spy" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "spy" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "spy" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "spy" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "spy" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ninja" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "spy", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person who secretly watches and examines the actions of other individuals or organizations and gathers information on them (usually to gain an advantage).
"The dead leap at the throat, destroy The meaning of the day; dark forms Have scaled your walls, and spies betray Old secrets to amorphous swarms."
- 2 (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors wordnet
- 3 A defensive player assigned to cover an offensive backfield player man-to-man when they are expected to engage in a running play, but the offensive player does not run with the ball immediately.
- 4 a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people wordnet
Verb
- 1 To act as a spy. intransitive
"During the Cold War, Russia and America would each spy on each other for recon."
- 2 secretly collect sensitive or classified information; engage in espionage wordnet
- 3 To spot; to catch sight of; to espy. transitive
"I think I can spy that hot guy coming over here."
- 4 watch, observe, or inquire secretly wordnet
- 5 To search narrowly; to scrutinize. intransitive
"(As I confeſſe it is my Natures plague / To ſpy into Abuſes, and of my iealouſie / Shapes faults that are not)"
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 catch sight of wordnet
- 7 To explore; to see; to view; inspect and examine secretly, as a country. transitive
- 8 catch sight of; to perceive with the eyes wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"White was denounced to the police as a spy."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "spy"?
Common synonyms include: ninja, agent, agent, be vigilant, be watchful, beagle.
How do you use "spy" in a sentence?
White was denounced to the police as a spy.
How do you pronounce "spy"?
Pronounced /spaɪ/.
Etymology
From Middle English spien, aphetic variant of earlier espien (“to espy”), from Old French espier (“to spy”), from Frankish *spehōn (“to spy”), from Proto-Germanic *spehōną (“to see, look”), from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- (“to look”). Akin to German spähen (“to spy”), Dutch spieden (“to spy”). The noun displaced native Old English sċēawere (literally “watcher”), which was also the word for "mirror." In this sense, the verb displaced Old English sċēawian, which was also the word for "to watch" and became the Modern English word show. Distant cognate vie PIE with Latin speculātor, Ancient Greek κατάσκοπος (katáskopos). Compare typologically Russian согляда́тай (sogljadátaj) (akin to гляде́ть (gljadétʹ)).