snoop

To snoop means to look for information about someone in a sneaky or unwanted way. Think of a curious puppy sniffing around where it does not belong. You might snoop through someone's bag, read messages that are not meant for you, or check their social media hoping to find a secret. The word is usually negative because it suggests being too curious and not respecting privacy.

The word "snoop" describes the act of prying into other people's private affairs, usually in secret and without permission. It suggests that someone wants to find out things that were not openly shared, and it almost always carries a negative tone. Imagine a mischievous raccoon poking through places it should leave alone; that gives the right feeling for "snoop."

People often use it when someone searches drawers, reads a diary, listens at doors, or checks a phone that is not theirs. It can happen in the physical world or online. Someone might be accused of snooping through a partner's messages, a coworker's desk, or a neighbor's business. In each case, the idea is the same: crossing a privacy boundary to learn something personal.

The word is most natural in situations where privacy is expected and then ignored. For example: "The reporter was accused of snooping into the celebrity's private life," or "I caught my little brother snooping around my room before Christmas." It can describe a brief action or a habit, so a person who does this often may be called a snoop.

As a noun, a "snoop" is a person who behaves this way: a nosy person who keeps trying to find out things that are not their business. So if someone is always digging where they do not belong, other people may call them a snoop.