eavesdropping

1 of 2

noun

eaves·​drop·​ping ˈēvz-ˌdrä-piŋ 

: the act of secretly listening to something private

Highly sophisticated means of electronic eavesdropping were developed and put into use, largely uncontrolled by the law.

—Wayne R. LaFave & Jerold H. Israel

For a moment, I was worried he'd found out about my eavesdropping the night before, but that didn't seem to be the problem.

—Rick Riordan

eavesdropping

2 of 2

present participle of eavesdrop

Examples of eavesdropping in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

OpenAI’s forthcoming device, rumored to be a portable smart speaker, could encounter similar eavesdropping concerns. — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2026

It was mostly shot at night on rooftops in Tel Aviv to avoid Israeli eavesdropping and protect its subjects. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026

Somewhere nearby, in a dark office, an eavesdropping oreja has just jerked to attention on his hard little chair. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026

Expect mistaken identities, eavesdropping and a bit of chaos. — Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1641, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for eavesdropping

• intercropping
• overtopping
• telescoping
• chopping
• copping
• cropping
• dropping
• flopping
• hopping
• lopping
• mopping
• popping