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

• spot
• eye
• notice
• see
• regard

Noun

• operative
• agent
• undercover
• mole

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

When Leo first spies the orphaned Josie singing on a Boston street corner, he’s struck by her resemblance to the Pendleton family, his father’s former employers and the victims of great tragedy when their baby was kidnapped in 1880. —EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Pentagon has deployed unmanned aircraft for spying missions over the Black Sea, with one drone downed by a Russian fighter jet in March 2023. —Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025

Noun

The novel dials up the danger for the group of amateur detectives when an old friend from Elizabeth's (played by Mirren in The Thursday Murder Club movie) spy days comes back from her past. —Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Called Back in Action, the comedy action flick stars Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx as a pair of married former CIA spies who are pulled back into espionage after their secret identities are exposed. —Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 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