Meaning & use

espied

verb·Advanced

Caught sight of something, especially something distant, hidden, or hard to notice.

See it in a sentence

From the hilltop, she espied a ship approaching slowly through the morning fog.

He espied an old friend across the crowded train station platform.

A note on using this word

This is a literary, somewhat old-fashioned word; everyday speech favors spotted or noticed.

Words with a similar meaning

spottedglimpsed

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

missedoverlooked

Make it your own

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