Meaning & use
espied
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“espied” is a form of “espy”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbtransitiveliterary
Past tense and past participle of espy: noticed or caught sight of something, often at a distance or only briefly.
Grammar: Takes an object: she espied a sail on the horizon.
Patterns
- espy something
- espy someone doing something
From the hilltop, she espied a small cottage among the trees.
He espied his old friend across the crowded square.
The sailors espied land at dawn.
Word forms
| base form | espy |
|---|---|
| third person singular | espies |
| -ing form | espying |
Common combinations
- espied from afar
- The lighthouse was espied from afar.
- espied through the mist
- A ship was espied through the mist.
- espied a figure
- He espied a figure by the gate.
- first espied
- The coast was first espied by a young cabin boy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- spotted
- Spotted is the everyday equivalent, while espied sounds poetic or deliberately old-fashioned.
- glimpsed
- Glimpsed stresses a very brief sight, but espied may involve a clear look at something far away.
- sighted
- Sighted is used for noticing something distant such as land or a ship, and is more neutral than espied.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: espied or espoused?
espied vs espoused
Espoused means supported an idea or cause, or married; it has nothing to do with seeing.
Practice
Climbing the ridge, the scout ___ a thin line of smoke in the valley.
Choose one answer.
Espied means caught sight of, which suits seeing smoke in the distance. Espoused means supported an idea, so it does not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “espied”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.