eavesdrop

eavesdrop
eaves‧drop /ˈiːvzdrɒp $ -drɑːp/ verb (past tense and past participle eavesdropped, present participle eavesdropping) [intransitive]to deliberately listen secretly to other people’s conversations ⇨ overhear:
    There was Helena eavesdropping outside the door.
—eavesdropper noun [countable]
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ listen to pay attention to what someone is saying or to a sound that you hear: I didn’t hear the answer, because I wasn’t listening when she read it out. | He listened carefully to every word I said.
   ▪ pay attention to listen carefully to what someone is saying: I nodded to show I was paying attention. | She was tired and wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying.
   ▪ eavesdrop to secretly listen to someone else’s conversation by standing near them, hiding behind a door etc: I caught him eavesdropping on our conversation. | They spoke in quiet voices which made it hard to eavesdrop.
   ▪ overhear to hear someone say something, especially accidentally: I overheard him say something about wanting to move house. | Excuse me! I couldn’t help overhearing that you were planning a trip to Thailand.
   ▪ tune in (to something) to listen to a radio programme, or to someone using a radio transmitter: Over a million people tune in to the programme each week. | Tune in at the same time next week for the next episode. | The equipment could be used by criminals to tune in to police broadcasts.
   ▪ tap to connect a piece of electronic recording equipment to a telephone system so that you can listen to people’s telephone conversations: The police had tapped the phones of all three suspects. | The President had to resign over an illegal phone-tapping operation.
   ▪ bug to hide a small piece of electronic recording equipment in someone’s room, car, office etc in order to listen secretly to what is said there: Security agents bugged their offices and managed to get some evidence against them. | Wells was convinced the house was bugged and insisted on playing loud music while we talked.