bugging
Planting hidden microphones
Bugging is the act of secretly installing listening devices to record conversations: The FBI was bugging his office.
More commonly, bugging means persistently annoying someone: Stop bugging me about it.
The informal sense dominates everyday speech—a person or thing that bugs you gets under your skin until you can't ignore it.
Covert phone surveillance
- eavesdroppingSecretly listening to others
- monitoringOngoing observation of something
- tappingRepeated light striking
- listeningAttending to sound
recording · spying · snooping · intercepting · tracking
Causing mild frustration
- pesteringPersistent unwanted attention
- naggingPersistent bothering or complaining
- botheringCausing irritation repeatedly
- hasslingPersistent irritating pressure
badgering · harassing · needling · hounding · aggravating · exasperating · vexing · grating
Audio input device
- transmitterSignal-emitting device
- wiretapHidden listening device
- wireThin metallic conductor
- tapValve controlling liquid flow
Secretly observing others
- CIAU.S. foreign intelligence service
- KGBUSSR intelligence service
- MI6UK espionage agency
- MossadIsraeli espionage service
intelligence · undercover · covert · clandestine · operative · agent · counterintelligence · infiltration
Intrusive interference in others' concerns
- pryingIntrusively inquisitive
- nosingInvestigating with curiosity
- snoopingSecretly investigating others
- interferingIntruding in others' affairs
imposing · invading · encroaching · overstepping · interloping · pushing · pressuring
Showing intermittent digital faults
- crashingColliding with force
- freezingExtremely cold
- failingFlaw in one's nature
- erroringProducing faults or mistakes
misfiring · hanging · lagging · corrupting
Actively looking at something
- followingComing after another
- trackingMonitoring location over time
- suspectingBelieving something amiss
- distrustingLacking confidence in others
fearing · worrying · obsessing · hypervigilance · conspiracy
wiretapping
Covert phone surveillance
- eavesdroppingSecretly listening to others
- monitoringOngoing observation of something
- tappingRepeated light striking
listening · recording · spying · snooping · intercepting · tracking
irritating
Causing mild frustration
- pesteringPersistent unwanted attention
- naggingPersistent bothering or complaining
- botheringCausing irritation repeatedly
hassling · badgering · harassing · needling · hounding · aggravating · exasperating · vexing · grating · tormenting
microphone
Audio input device
- transmitterSignal-emitting device
- wiretapHidden listening device
- wireThin metallic conductor
tap · recorder · countermeasures · scrambler · detector
spying
Secretly observing others
Mossad · intelligence · undercover · covert · clandestine · operative · agent · counterintelligence · infiltration
meddling
Intrusive interference in others' concerns
- pryingIntrusively inquisitive
- nosingInvestigating with curiosity
- snoopingSecretly investigating others
interfering · imposing · invading · encroaching · overstepping · interloping · pushing · pressuring
glitching
Showing intermittent digital faults
erroring · misfiring · hanging · lagging · corrupting
watching
Actively looking at something
- followingComing after another
- trackingMonitoring location over time
- suspectingBelieving something amiss
distrusting · fearing · worrying · obsessing · hypervigilance · conspiracy
- espionagespy, spies, double agent, double agents, spying
- slang behaviorsgoofing off, messing around, fooling around, horsing around, slacking
- covert activitiesspying, sneaking, eavesdropping, snooping, hiding
- privacy violationsinvasion of privacy, data breach, privacy invasion, privacy breach, eavesdropping
- secret policeStasi, KGB, Gestapo, NKVD, Cheka
- surveillancesurveillance, CCTV, security camera, surveillance camera, surveillance cameras
buggingpleasing
Causing enjoyment or satisfaction
delighting · soothing · calming · pacifying · placating
buggingleaving alone
Ceasing to disturb
ignoring · giving space · backing off · letting be · aiding
- bugging outHasty emergency departure
- bugging devicesConcealed audio recorders