eavesdrop

/ˈiːvzdrɒp/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈiːvzdrɑːp/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈēvz-ˌdräp/ (ame, mw)

eavesdrop — verb

  • eavesdroppresent simple I / you / we / they
  • eavesdropshe / she / it
  • eavesdroppedpast simple
  • eavesdropping-ing form

1. to secretly listen to a private conversation nearby without the speakers knowing

1.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to secretly listen to a private conversation nearby without the speakers knowing

例句

Kemi hid behind the kitchen door to eavesdrop on her parents' argument.

grammar pattern: eavesdrop on [conversation]

Two reporters tried to eavesdrop on the mayor at the hotel bar.

同義詞
  • listen in

    close in meaning, but more informal

  • overhear

    often accidental, not deliberate like eavesdrop

  • snoop

    broader and can involve prying in ways other than listening

文法句型

eavesdrop + on + noun phrase

用法筆記

Usually followed by 'on'. This sense is about hearing private talk with your own ears while you are nearby, not by using equipment.

常見錯誤

❌We eavesdropped their meeting from the hallway.
✅We eavesdropped on their meeting from the hallway.
💡The verb normally takes 'on' before the conversation or people.

2. to secretly listen to someone's words or phone calls by using hidden equipment s

2.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to secretly listen to someone's words or phone calls by using hidden equipment such as a recorder or tapped line

例句

Police used a hidden recorder to eavesdrop on the gang's phone calls.

collocation: eavesdrop on phone calls

The hackers eavesdropped on staff meetings through a smart speaker.

同義詞
  • wiretap

    more specific to secretly listening to calls or lines

  • monitor

    broader and can be done openly rather than secretly

  • bug

    often used when a place or line is fitted with a listening device

文法句型

eavesdrop + on + noun phrase

用法筆記

Usually followed by 'on'. Unlike verb/1, this sense depends on a hidden device, a tapped line, or another planted tool.

常見錯誤

❌The officers eavesdropped by sitting outside the room.
✅The officers eavesdropped with a hidden device outside the room.
💡This sense specifically involves electronic or mechanical monitoring.

3. to obtain private information by quietly intercepting electronic signals or gett

3.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to obtain private information by quietly intercepting electronic signals or getting into a computer system

例句

Attackers eavesdropped on the cafe's Wi-Fi and stole card numbers.

digital interception over Wi-Fi

The malware eavesdropped on messages sent through the school's app.

同義詞
  • intercept

    focuses on catching data or signals in transit

  • snoop

    less technical and broader than this digital-security sense

  • monitor

    can be neutral or legal, unlike the secretive sense here

文法句型

eavesdrop + on + noun phrase

用法筆記

Usually followed by 'on'. The target here is digital traffic, messages, or data inside a system, not people talking nearby.

常見錯誤

❌The app eavesdropped the data on our phones.
✅The app eavesdropped on the data on our phones.
💡This sense still normally uses 'on' before the digital target.