eavesdrop
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
-
water that drips from the eaves.
-
the ground on which such water falls.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
eavesdropsimple
-
eavesdropssimple
-
have eavesdroppedperfect
-
has eavesdroppedperfect
-
am eavesdroppingprogressive
-
are eavesdroppingprogressive
-
is eavesdroppingprogressive
-
have been eavesdroppingperfect progressive
-
has been eavesdroppingperfect progressive
Past
-
eavesdroppedsimple
-
had eavesdroppedperfect
-
was eavesdroppingprogressive
-
were eavesdroppingprogressive
-
had been eavesdroppingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of eavesdrop
before 900; (noun) Middle English evesdrope, evesdripe, Old English yfesdrype; as v., probably back formation from eavesdropper, late Middle English evisdroppyr, apparently literally, one who stands on the eavesdrop in order to listen to conversations inside the house; see eave, drop, drip
Explanation
When you eavesdrop, you secretly listen in on someone's conversation. A little girl might eavesdrop on her parents in an attempt to find out what she's getting for her birthday. Whenever you deliberately overhear a phone conversation, or two people having a quiet argument, you eavesdrop. You might eavesdrop on a funny exchange between two friends at a cafe, or eavesdrop on an important conversation between your boss and one of your coworkers. The verb eavesdrop comes from the old-fashioned noun eavesdropper, "one who listens from under the eaves," from the even more old-fashioned eavesdrop, "ground where rainwater drips off the roof."
Vocabulary lists containing eavesdrop
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"The Scholarship Jacket" by Marta Salinas
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The president sometimes messes with the reporters on the line or lets people around him eavesdrop on speakerphone.
From Slate ● Mar. 18, 2026
A trade office allegedly helped to eavesdrop on Chinese dissidents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026
Their ability to detect low-frequency sounds helps them eavesdrop on the mating calls of frogs.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2025
At night, she turns on the shortwave radio to eavesdrop on other starving families without being tempted to help.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2025
I figured me and Cooter would both get to eavesdrop on the growned folks’ meeting.
From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis
One of the few au courant innovations on “What’s in the Box?” involves surveillance: As one couple answers questions, the camera eavesdrops on the conversations among their competition, which can range from catty to worse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
Mailata, a five-year veteran, eavesdrops on Kelce’s tutorials to Jurgens so he can learn more about football.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 19, 2023
The film eavesdrops on board meetings and attends parties.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2022
He is witness to frequent processions of mourners, and eavesdrops on their laments for fighters and civilians.
From New York Times ● Aug. 7, 2019
Mom eavesdrops on Abuela and me then lambastes us with one of her sixty-odd diatribes when she doesn’t like what she hears.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
“Maybe they’re fakes, maybe they are eavesdropped conversations,” Putin said of the transcripts earlier reported by Bloomberg News.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 27, 2025
Data might be despatched through optical fibres using particles of light making it almost impossible to be eavesdropped or hacked.
From BBC ● May 6, 2024
He said he learned at trial that authorities eavesdropped on his conversations with his wife when she visited him in detention, and “then used it against me.”
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 16, 2023
I eavesdropped on people visiting them in Los Angeles, and the tone was decidedly nostalgic: for a bygone age of civility, for democracy still guided by norms, protocol and decorum.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 7, 2022
Veronika eavesdropped more carefully, for she assumed all the shouting must have to do with her.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
A big reason for its continued survival: the effective surveillance of all residents—including eavesdropping on calls—and its iron-fisted control of every aspect of society, from sports centers to concert halls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
“As an eighth grader, I was eavesdropping when my mom was talking to a friend and I heard something about medical insurance and how expensive it is,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 21, 2026
A VPN cannot protect you from all online threats, such as eavesdropping attacks, fake Wi-Fi hotspots or IP-based tracking.
From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2025
Quantum cryptography offers a promising defense by using the rules of quantum physics to secure communication against eavesdropping.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 29, 2025
I was in the living room, eavesdropping, even though I was supposed to be doing my geometry homework.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
