spy

espionner, épier

Observer quelqu’un en secret pour découvrir ce qu’il fait.

En anglais simple : To watch someone secretly and find out what they do.

• Are you spying on me?
• He spied on his neighbours from the window.
• The children tried to spy through the fence.

Comment l'utiliser : spy on someone (Stop spying on your neighbours.); spy through something (He spied through a gap in the curtains.)

Expressions courantes : spy on someone, spy through something

espionner

Recueillir secrètement des informations pour un pays ou une organisation.

En anglais simple : To secretly collect information for a country or organization.

• He was paid to spy.
• She spied for her country for years.
• The agents were spying on a rival company.

Comment l'utiliser : spy for someone/something (He spied for a foreign intelligence service.); spy on someone/something (They were accused of spying on the government.)

Expressions courantes : spy for someone, spy on someone

apercevoir, repérer

Remarquer ou voir soudain quelqu’un ou quelque chose.

En anglais simple : To notice or suddenly see someone or something.

• I spied a bird in the tree.
• She spied her brother across the crowded room.
• Can you spy a figure on the hill?

Comment l'utiliser : spy someone/something doing something (We spied a deer crossing the path.)

Synonymes : spot, notice, catch sight of

Expressions courantes : spy someone ahead, spy something nearby, spy someone approaching, spy something outside

espion, agent secret

Personne qui recueille secrètement des informations pour un pays ou une organisation.

En anglais simple : A person who secretly collects information for a country or organization.

• The spy stole secret documents.
• They caught two spies near the military base.
• She worked as a spy during the war.

Comment l'utiliser : a spy for someone/something (He was a spy for a foreign government.)

Synonymes : secret agent, intelligence agent

Expressions courantes : enemy spy, foreign spy, a secret spy

espion

Personne qui surveille les autres en secret pour savoir ce qu’ils font.

En anglais simple : Someone who secretly watches other people to learn what they are doing.

• There is a spy at the window.
• She feared a spy would photograph her private meeting.
• He accused his neighbour of being a spy.

Expressions courantes : a hidden spy, a nosy spy