snoopers
Those who pry
Snoopers are people who pry into others' affairs—poking through belongings, reading private messages, or otherwise seeking information they weren't meant to have.
The term carries disapproval: The snoopers went through my desk while I was away.
A snooper might be a nosy neighbor, a suspicious spouse, or someone conducting unauthorized surveillance.
Intrusively inquisitive
- meddlesomeProne to interfering
- intrusiveInvading others' privacy
- busybodyIntrusive meddler
- buttinskyIntrusive meddler in others' affairs
peeping · eavesdropping · overcurious · rubbernecking · interfering · kibitzer · parker · nebbish
Unconfirmed circulating story
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
- whisperSpeech without full voice
- hearsayUnverified secondhand information
- tittle-tattleTrivial, idle chatter
muckrake · talebearing · dirt · leak · backbite · slander · innuendo · tales
Covert information gatherer
- agentOne who acts independently
- moleSubterranean insectivore
- operativeCovert field agent
- undercoverSecretly engaged in espionage
covert · clandestine · infiltrate · intelligence · counterintelligence · reconnaissance · black ops · double agent
prying
Intrusively inquisitive
- meddlesomeProne to interfering
- intrusiveInvading others' privacy
- busybodyIntrusive meddler
buttinsky · peeping · eavesdropping · overcurious · rubbernecking · interfering · kibitzer · parker · nebbish · fussbudget
rumor
Unconfirmed circulating story
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
- whisperSpeech without full voice
- hearsayUnverified secondhand information
tittle-tattle · muckrake · talebearing · dirt · leak · backbite · slander · innuendo · tales · juicy
spy
Covert information gatherer
undercover · covert · clandestine · infiltrate · intelligence · counterintelligence · reconnaissance · black ops · double agent · handler
monitoring
Ongoing observation of something
- wiretapHidden listening device
- eavesdropListen to private conversations
- buggingSecretly recording conversations
tapping · CCTV · cameras · tracking · shadowing · tail · stakeout · observation · watching · drones
detective
Professional crime investigator
- sleuthPrivate investigator
- investigateSeek facts systematically
- probeThorough examination or tool
inquire · uncover · scrutinize · examine · inspect · research · delve · discover · gumshoe · private eye
- unwelcome peopleintruders, trespassers, invaders, uninvited guests, gatecrashers
snoopersrecluses
People avoiding all society
hermits · introverts · loners · isolationists
snoopersstraight shooters
Forthright, honest individuals
open books · truth-tellers · confessors · disclosers · whistleblowers
- snooped aroundSearched secretively through belongings