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Spy

noun/spˈaɪ/
Definition
(military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people
Pronunciation
🇺🇸American English
/spˈaɪ/
🇬🇧British English
/spˈaɪ/
🇮🇳Indian English
/spˈaɪ/
1 syllable Say it as /spˈaɪ/.
Examples
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
Parts of Speech
noun(military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
nouna secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people
“my spies tell me that you had a good time last night”
verbcatch sight of
verbwatch, observe, or inquire secretly
verbcatch sight of; to perceive with the eyes
“he caught sight of the king's men coming over the ridge”
verbsecretly collect sensitive or classified information; engage in espionage
“spy for the Russians”
Word Forms
spyverbsecretly collect sensitive or classified information; engage in espionage
spotternouna person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
spottingnounthe act of detecting something; catching sight of something
espialnounthe act of detecting something; catching sight of something
spyingnounthe act of detecting something; catching sight of something
spynoun(military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
snoopernouna spy who makes uninvited inquiries into the private affairs of others
snoopnouna spy who makes uninvited inquiries into the private affairs of others
sleuthingnouna police investigation to determine the perpetrator
sleuthnouna detective who follows a trail
sightnounthe act of looking or seeing or observing
sightingnounthe act of observing
Around the World
Europe
🇩🇪German
Spion
(Militär) ein Geheimagent, der von einem Staat angeheuert wird, um Informationen über seine Feinde zu erhalten, oder von einem Unternehmen, um Betriebsgeheimnisse von Konkurrenten zu erhalten
🇫🇷French
espionner
(militaire) agent secret engagé par un État pour obtenir des informations sur ses ennemis ou par une entreprise pour obtenir des secrets industriels de concurrents
🇪🇸Spanish
espiar
(militar) un agente secreto contratado por un estado para obtener información sobre sus enemigos o por una empresa para obtener secretos industriales de sus competidores
🇮🇹Italian
spiare
(militare) agente segreto assunto da uno Stato per ottenere informazioni sui propri nemici o da un'impresa per ottenere segreti industriali dai concorrenti
🇳🇱Dutch
spion
(militair) een geheim agent ingehuurd door een staat om informatie te verkrijgen over zijn vijanden of door een bedrijf om industriële geheimen van concurrenten te verkrijgen
🇵🇹Portuguese
espião
(militar) um agente secreto contratado por um estado para obter informações sobre seus inimigos ou por uma empresa para obter segredos industriais de concorrentes
🇷🇺Russian
шпион
(военный) секретный агент, нанятый государством для получения информации о своих врагах или предприятием для получения промышленных секретов от конкурентов.
India
🇮🇳Hindi
जासूस
(सैन्य) एक गुप्त एजेंट जिसे किसी राज्य द्वारा अपने दुश्मनों के बारे में जानकारी प्राप्त करने के लिए या किसी व्यवसाय द्वारा प्रतिस्पर्धियों से औद्योगिक रहस्य प्राप्त करने के लिए नियुक्त किया जाता है।
🇧🇩Bengali
গুপ্তচর
(সামরিক) একটি গোপন এজেন্ট একটি রাষ্ট্র দ্বারা তার শত্রুদের সম্পর্কে তথ্য পেতে বা প্রতিযোগীদের কাছ থেকে শিল্প গোপনীয়তা পাওয়ার জন্য একটি ব্যবসার দ্বারা নিয়োগ করা হয়
🇮🇳Tamil
உளவாளி
(இராணுவம்) ஒரு அரசு தனது எதிரிகளைப் பற்றிய தகவல்களைப் பெற அல்லது போட்டியாளர்களிடமிருந்து தொழில்துறை ரகசியங்களைப் பெற ஒரு வணிகத்தால் பணியமர்த்தப்பட்ட ஒரு ரகசிய முகவர்
🇮🇳Telugu
గూఢచారి
(సైనిక) ఒక రాష్ట్రం తన శత్రువుల గురించి సమాచారాన్ని పొందేందుకు లేదా పోటీదారుల నుండి పారిశ్రామిక రహస్యాలను పొందేందుకు ఒక వ్యాపారం ద్వారా నియమించబడిన రహస్య ఏజెంట్
🇮🇳Marathi
गुप्तहेर
(लष्करी) एखाद्या राज्याद्वारे त्याच्या शत्रूंबद्दल माहिती मिळविण्यासाठी किंवा प्रतिस्पर्ध्यांकडून औद्योगिक रहस्ये मिळविण्यासाठी व्यवसायाद्वारे नियुक्त केलेला गुप्त एजंट
🇮🇳Gujarati
જાસૂસ
(લશ્કરી) રાજ્ય દ્વારા તેના દુશ્મનો વિશેની માહિતી મેળવવા માટે અથવા સ્પર્ધકો પાસેથી ઔદ્યોગિક રહસ્યો મેળવવા માટે વ્યવસાય દ્વારા ભાડે કરાયેલ ગુપ્ત એજન્ટ
🇮🇳Kannada
ಪತ್ತೇದಾರಿ
(ಮಿಲಿಟರಿ) ತನ್ನ ಶತ್ರುಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮಾಹಿತಿಯನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯಲು ಅಥವಾ ಸ್ಪರ್ಧಿಗಳಿಂದ ಕೈಗಾರಿಕಾ ರಹಸ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯಲು ವ್ಯವಹಾರದಿಂದ ನೇಮಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟ ರಹಸ್ಯ ಏಜೆಂಟ್
🇮🇳Malayalam
ചാരൻ
(സൈനിക) ഒരു സംസ്ഥാനം അതിൻ്റെ ശത്രുക്കളെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള വിവരങ്ങൾ നേടുന്നതിന് അല്ലെങ്കിൽ എതിരാളികളിൽ നിന്ന് വ്യാവസായിക രഹസ്യങ്ങൾ നേടുന്നതിന് ഒരു ബിസിനസ്സ് നിയമിച്ച ഒരു രഹസ്യ ഏജൻ്റ്
🇮🇳Punjabi
ਜਾਸੂਸੀ
(ਫੌਜੀ) ਇੱਕ ਰਾਜ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਆਪਣੇ ਦੁਸ਼ਮਣਾਂ ਬਾਰੇ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਜਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਤੀਯੋਗੀਆਂ ਤੋਂ ਉਦਯੋਗਿਕ ਭੇਦ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਇੱਕ ਕਾਰੋਬਾਰ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਨਿਯੁਕਤ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਇੱਕ ਗੁਪਤ ਏਜੰਟ
🇵🇰Urdu
جاسوس
(فوجی) ایک خفیہ ایجنٹ جو کسی ریاست کے ذریعہ اپنے دشمنوں کے بارے میں معلومات حاصل کرنے کے لئے یا کسی کاروبار کے ذریعہ حریفوں سے صنعتی راز حاصل کرنے کے لئے رکھا جاتا ہے۔
East & Southeast Asia
🇨🇳Chinese
间谍
(军事)受国家雇佣以获取有关其敌人的信息或受企业雇佣以从竞争对手那里获取工业秘密的秘密特工
🇯🇵Japanese
スパイ
(軍事) 敵に関する情報を入手するために国家によって、または競合他社から産業秘密を入手するために企業によって雇われた秘密諜報員
🇰🇷Korean
스파이
(군) 국가가 적에 대한 정보를 얻기 위해 고용하거나 기업이 경쟁사의 산업 비밀을 얻기 위해 고용한 비밀요원.
🇻🇳Vietnamese
điệp viên
(quân sự) mật vụ được một quốc gia thuê để lấy thông tin về kẻ thù của mình hoặc được một doanh nghiệp thuê để lấy bí mật công nghiệp từ đối thủ cạnh tranh
🇹🇭Thai
สอดแนม
(ทหาร) สายลับที่ได้รับการว่าจ้างจากรัฐให้รับข้อมูลเกี่ยวกับศัตรูหรือโดยธุรกิจเพื่อให้ได้มาซึ่งความลับทางอุตสาหกรรมจากคู่แข่ง
🇮🇩Indonesian
mengintai
(Militer) agen rahasia yang disewa oleh suatu negara untuk memperoleh informasi tentang musuh-musuhnya atau oleh suatu bisnis untuk mendapatkan rahasia industri dari pesaing
🇵🇭Filipino
espiya
(militar) isang lihim na ahente na inupahan ng isang estado upang makakuha ng impormasyon tungkol sa mga kaaway nito o ng isang negosyo upang makakuha ng mga lihim na pang-industriya mula sa mga kakumpitensya
🇲🇾Malay
pengintip
(tentera) ejen rahsia yang diupah oleh negara untuk mendapatkan maklumat tentang musuhnya atau oleh perniagaan untuk mendapatkan rahsia industri daripada pesaing
Middle East
🇸🇦Arabic
جاسوس
(عسكري) عميل سري تستأجره الدولة للحصول على معلومات عن أعدائها أو شركة للحصول على أسرار صناعية من المنافسين
🇮🇷Persian
جاسوسی
(نظامی) یک مامور مخفی که توسط یک دولت برای به دست آوردن اطلاعات در مورد دشمنان خود یا توسط یک تجارت برای به دست آوردن اسرار صنعتی از رقبا استخدام شده است.
🇹🇷Turkish
casus
(askeri) bir devlet tarafından düşmanları hakkında bilgi edinmek için veya bir işletme tarafından rakiplerden endüstriyel sırlar elde etmek için tutulan gizli bir ajan
🇮🇱Hebrew
מְרַגֵל
(צבאי) סוכן חשאי שנשכר על ידי מדינה כדי להשיג מידע על אויביה או על ידי עסק כדי להשיג סודות תעשייתיים ממתחרים
Test Yourself1 / 3
What is the primary definition of the word 'spy'?
The primary meaning of 'spy' is '(military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors'.
Which of the following sentences uses the word 'spy' in a grammatically correct way?
Using 'spy' in a noun/adjective form makes the first sentence correct.
In which domain is the word 'spy' most likely to appear as standard vocabulary?
'spy' is a standard word used primarily in general literature and formal communications.
Community Poll1 / 6
How often do you encounter the word 'spy' in your daily reading?
Very Often
Occasionally
Rarely
Never
Do you find 'spy' easy to spell?
Yes, very easy
Somewhat easy
A bit confusing
Extremely hard
In your opinion, does the word 'spy' have a positive, neutral, or gloomy tone?
Positive
Neutral
Gloomy
Vibrant
Which age group is most likely to use 'spy' in regular conversations?
Kids (3-12)
Teens (13-19)
Adults (20-60)
Seniors (60+)
How likely are you to use 'spy' in a professional email?
Very likely
Somewhat likely
Not very likely
Never
Would you classify 'spy' as formal, casual, or slang?
Formal
Casual
Slang
Archaic
Pick an option to see how others voted
This word is also in the Advanced book — want the full, immersive treatment (age meanings, culture, creative use, deeper Hindi & exercises)? Open the Advanced entry →