snoop

American  

[snoop] / snup /

verb (used without object)

1. to prowl or pry; go about in a sneaking, prying way.

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noun

1. an act or instance of snooping.

2. a person who snoops.

3. a private detective.

snoop British  

/ snuːp /

verb

1. (intr; often foll by about or around) to pry into the private business of others

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noun

1. a person who pries into the business of others

2. an act or instance of snooping

Other Word Forms

• snooper
  noun
• snoopy
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of snoop

1825–35, < Dutch snoepen to take and eat food on the sly

Explanation

When you snoop, you poke around in someone else's business. A teenager might snoop in her sister's room, looking for her diary. You snoop when you rustle through someone's garbage looking for love letters, and if you spy on your neighbor through the curtains, you also snoop. In fact, if you spend enough time doing this, you'll be called a snoop — a sneaky busybody. The earliest meaning of snoop, "to go around in a prying manner," comes from the Dutch word snoepen, "to pry."

Example Sentences

Chart-topping Snoop, whose three-decade career includes 16 Grammy nominations, is a minority owner of Swansea City, alongside American business woman Martha Stewart and Croatian footballer Luka Modrić.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Snoop Dogg and YG attended the opening but left before the shooting, according to TMZ.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

Snoop Dogg enjoys spreading cheer at the Olympics on behalf of NBC and has big goals for 2028 when his hometown hosts the Games.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

American rapper Snoop Dogg is greeted by cheering fans as he attends a Swansea game for the first time since becoming a minority owner of the Welsh club.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

She started by having us analyze the cover of Snoop Doggy Dogg’s album with cartoon characters representing a male and female dog.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

Related Words

• intrude
• peep