Need another word that means the same as “spy”? Find 43 synonyms and 30 related words for “spy” in this overview.
The synonyms of “Spy” are: secret agent, enemy agent, secret service agent, intelligence agent, double agent, counterspy, fifth columnist, mole, plant, scout, descry, espy, spot, sleuth, snoop, stag, sight, eavesdropping, be a spy, be engaged in spying, gather intelligence, work for the secret service, observe furtively, keep under surveillance, watch, keep a watch on, keep an eye on, keep under observation, follow, shadow, trail, notice, observe, see, catch sight of, glimpse, catch a glimpse of, get a glimpse of, make out, discern, pick out, detect, have sight of
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “spy” as a noun can have the following definitions:
| counterspy | A spy engaged in counter-espionage. |
| double agent | Someone who closely resembles a famous person (especially an actor. |
| enemy agent | A personal enemy. |
| fifth columnist | Position five in a countable series of things. |
| intelligence agent | Information about recent and important events. |
| mole | The molecular weight of a substance expressed in grams the basic unit of amount of substance adopted under the Systeme International d Unites. The company is hunting for the mole who revealed details of planned job cuts. |
| plant | A small plant as distinct from a shrub or tree. He claimed that the evidence against him was a plant. |
| scout | A honeybee that searches for a new site for a swarm to settle or for a new food source. Brock slid the ball in from 14 yards to impress watching scouts. |
| secret agent | Something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained. |
| secret service agent | Information known only to a special group. |
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “spy” as a verb can have the following definitions:
| be a spy | Work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a specific function. |
| be engaged in spying | Be priced at. |
| catch a glimpse of | Attract; cause to be enamored. |
| catch sight of | Perceive by hearing. |
| descry | Catch sight of. She descried two figures. |
| detect | Discern (something intangible or barely perceptible. The public can help the police to detect crime. |
| discern | Detect with the senses. Pupils quickly discern what is acceptable to the teacher. |
| eavesdropping | Listen without the speaker’s knowledge. |
| espy | Catch sight of. She espied her daughter rounding the corner. |
| follow | Follow discover or ascertain the course of development of something. She followed his gaze peering into the gloom. |
| gather intelligence | Collect or gather. |
| get a glimpse of | Perceive by hearing. |
| glimpse | Catch a glimpse of or see briefly. He glimpsed a figure standing in the shade. |
| have sight of | Achieve a point or goal. |
| keep a watch on | Supply with necessities and support. |
| keep an eye on | Supply with necessities and support. |
| keep under observation | Look after; be the keeper of; have charge of. |
| keep under surveillance | Conform one’s action or practice to. |
| make out | To compose or represent. |
| notice | Notice or perceive. I noticed that she was looking tired. |
| observe | Observe with care or pay close attention to. Please observe the reaction of these two chemicals. |
| observe furtively | Stick to correctly or closely. |
| pick out | Remove in small bits. |
| see | See and understand have a good eye. Did you know that she is seeing an older man. |
| shadow | Envelop in shadow cast a shadow over. The market is shadowed by St Margaret s church. |
| sight | Take a detailed visual measurement of something with or as with a sight. He had to sight along the planks in the proper order to get the line right. |
| sleuth | Discover by careful investigation. There s nothing you can do but sleuth around until you find the answer. |
| snoop | Watch, observe, or inquire secretly. Your sister might find the ring if she goes snooping about. |
| spot | Become spotted. The men were spotted by police. |
| stag | Watch, observe, or inquire secretly. I stagged them off and burned the ends then tucked them away. |
| trail | (typically of a plant) grow or hang over the edge of something or along the ground. The bride s veiled trailed along the ground. |
| watch | See or watch. Watch out for broken glass. |
| work for the secret service | Behave in a certain way when handled. |
| apostate | Not faithful to religion or party or cause. After fifty years as an apostate he returned to the faith. |
| betray | Treacherously reveal (information. The spy betrayed his country. |
| betrayal | An act of deliberate betrayal. These developments represented a betrayal of democracy. |
| betrayer | One who reveals confidential information in return for money. |
| clandestine | Kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit. She deserved better than these clandestine meetings. |
| concealment | The condition of being concealed or hidden. He darted forwards from the concealment of the bushes. |
| covert | Being under the protection of her husband. A woman covert. |
| defector | A person who abandons their duty (as on a military post. Staff interviewed escapees and defectors to the West. |
| disguised | Having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading. The disguised form of aggression available to the powerless against the powerful. |
| espionage | The systematic use of spies to get military or political secrets. The camouflage and secrecy of espionage. |
| furtive | Suggestive of guilty nervousness. A furtive manner. |
| hidden | Designed to elude detection. A hidden room or place of concealment such as a priest hole. |
| infiltrate | Pass through an enemy line; in a military conflict. Computing has infiltrated most professions now. |
| infiltration | A process in which individuals (or small groups) penetrate an area (especially the military penetration of enemy positions without detection. The infiltration of seawater through the lava. |
| investigate | Investigate scientifically. The district attorney s office investigated reports of possible irregularities. |
| operative | Being in force or having or exerting force. Wounds needing operative treatment. |
| percolate | (of coffee) be prepared in a percolator. Percolate coffee. |
| rebel | A person who takes part in an armed rebellion against the constituted authority especially in the hope of improving conditions. As I came over the hill my legs rebelled I could walk no further. |
| renegade | Become a renegade. He was a renegade and social malcontent. |
| secret | Of information given in confidence or in secret. The secret of a happy marriage is compromise. |
| sneak | Someone who prowls or sneaks about usually with unlawful intentions. A sneak thief. |
| snitch | Someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police. They thought he was a plant or a snitch. |
| stealthy | Behaving or done in a cautious and surreptitious manner, so as not to be seen or heard. Stealthy footsteps. |
| surreptitious | Kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of. Surreptitious mobilization of troops. |
| traitor | A person who betrays someone or something, such as a friend, cause, or principle. He was a traitor to his own class. |
| turncoat | A disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc. They denounced him as a turncoat. |
| ulterior | Lying beyond what is openly revealed or avowed (especially being kept in the background or deliberately concealed)- Bertrand Russell. Without ulterior argument. |
| undercover | Involving secret work within a community or organization, especially for the purposes of police investigation or espionage. An undercover investigation. |
| underground | An underground railway especially the one in London. Czech underground literature. |
| watchdog | A guardian or defender against theft or illegal practices or waste. How can we watchdog our investments. |
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