Meaning

2 senses
  1. (ambitransitive)To hear (intentionally) a conversation one is not intended to hear; to listen in.

    I hope nobody was eavesdropping on our conversation last night, since it got so personal.

    belauschen, horchen, lauschen

    подслу́шиватьpodslúšivatʹ, подслу́шатьpodslúšatʹ

  2. To listen for another organism's calls, so as to exploit them.

More definitions
  • listen without the speaker's knowledge

Examples

34 sentences
  1. I know I shouldn't have eavesdropped.

    Я знаю, що мені не слід було підслуховувати. — deniko

    ruЯ знаю, что мне не следовало подслушивать. — marafon

    deIch weiß, daß ich nicht hätte lauschen dürfen. — Waldelfe

  2. I know that I shouldn't have eavesdropped.

    Я знаю, що мені не слід було підслуховувати. — deniko

    ruЯ знаю, что мне не следовало подслушивать. — marafon

    deIch weiß, daß ich nicht hätte lauschen dürfen. — Waldelfe

  3. Tom is always eavesdropping.

    Том завжди підслуховує. — deniko

    ruТом всё время подслушивает. — marafon

    deTom lauscht immer heimlich. — Pfirsichbaeumchen

  4. Tom is eavesdropping.

    Том підслуховує. — deniko

    ruТом подслушивает. — paul_lingvo

  5. I wasn't eavesdropping.

    Я не підслуховував. — deniko

Translations

8 languages
Русский
By meaning 1
to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear:
Deutsch
By meaning 1
to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear:

Origin

From eaves + drop; the "listening" sense derives from the notion of the listener standing

From eaves + drop; the "listening" sense derives from the notion of the listener standing in the area denoted by the physical sense.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

eavesdrops, eavesdropping, eavesdropped, eavesdropped
Base formeavesdrop · to eavesdrop
3rd person singulareavesdrops
Present participleeavesdropping
Past simpleeavesdropped
Past participleeavesdropped

irregular

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theyeavesdrop
he, she, iteavesdrops

Past simpleLesson

all personseavesdropped

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave eavesdropped
he, she, ithas eavesdropped

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill eavesdrop

Synonyms

1 synonyms
Close in meaning
  • listen without the speaker's knowledge:listen in

Word family

6 related words

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
eavesdrop — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto