undercover
/ˌʌndəˈkʌvə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌʌndərˈkʌvər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌʌn.dəˈkʌv.ər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌʌn.dɚˈkʌv.ɚ/ (ame, ipa)
undercover — adjective
- undercoverpositive
- more undercovercomparative
- most undercoversuperlative
1. describes a person — such as a police officer, agent, or journalist — who works
describes a person — such as a police officer, agent, or journalist — who works using a false name, appearance, and personal history in order to secretly gather information about criminal or suspicious activity.
Saira posed as a journalist during a three-year undercover investigation of a drug network.
attributive: undercover investigation
The detective's undercover work led to the arrest of seven corrupt officials.
possessive + undercover + noun (work)
Élise accepted a dangerous undercover assignment to gather evidence inside the trafficking ring.
The undercover police unit had been monitoring the gang's activities for months.
Yan's undercover role required a completely new name, documents, and personal history.
- covert
broader in scope — describes any hidden operation, not necessarily involving a false identity
- clandestine
more dramatic, often implies secrecy for illegal purposes; less common in everyday news language
- secret
the most general term; does not specifically convey the idea of assuming a false identity
- plainclothes
limited to police officers who wear ordinary clothes instead of a uniform, but not necessarily using a false identity
文法句型
undercover + noun (role/investigation/unit)
用法筆記
This adjective nearly always appears immediately before the noun it describes. You cannot use it alone after a linking verb to describe a situation — for that meaning, use the adverb form (e.g. 'The agent worked undercover').
常見錯誤
undercover — adverb
1. in a way that involves taking on a false identity and hiding your real purpose,
in a way that involves taking on a false identity and hiding your real purpose, especially to obtain evidence or expose wrongdoing.
Christopher agreed to go undercover as a courier to gather evidence for the investigation.
go undercover as + [role]
Tamar worked undercover in the company's accounting department for almost two years before the trial.
Officers who are sent undercover often receive special training in languages and local customs.
The journalist lived undercover in the refugee camp for a month to document the conditions.
- secretly
much broader; does not suggest a false identity or police investigation
- covertly
more formal, used for any hidden military or intelligence activity
- in disguise
emphasises the physical appearance change rather than the investigative purpose
- openly
without any attempt at concealment
文法句型
verb + undercover
go undercover
work undercover
live undercover
be sent undercover
用法筆記
Common verb partners are 'go', 'work', 'live', 'operate', and 'pose'. The phrase 'go undercover' is the most frequent pattern for describing the beginning of an assignment.