Definitions
- Referring to the act of intentionally eavesdropping on someone's conversation. - Describing the behavior of secretly listening in on a private conversation without permission. - Talking about the act of prying into someone's personal affairs or business.
- Referring to accidentally hearing a conversation or part of a conversation not intended for one's ears. - Describing the behavior of unintentionally listening in on a conversation due to proximity or volume. - Talking about the act of catching snippets of a conversation without actively seeking to listen in.
List of Similarities
- 1Both involve listening to a conversation.
- 2Both can happen without the knowledge or consent of the speakers.
- 3Both can provide information that was not intended for the listener.
- 4Both can be considered intrusive or impolite behavior.
- 5Both can be used in storytelling or reporting to describe how information was obtained.
What is the difference?
- 1Intention: Earwigging is intentional while overhearing is accidental.
- 2Awareness: The speaker is usually aware of being earwigged while they may not be aware of being overheard.
- 3Permission: Earwigging is done without permission while overhearing is not necessarily done without permission.
- 4Volume: Earwigging implies that the listener is close enough to hear the conversation clearly while overhearing can happen from a distance or due to loudness.
- 5Connotation: Earwigging has a negative connotation while overhearing is neutral.
Remember this!
Earwigging and overhearing both refer to listening to a conversation not intended for the listener. However, the difference between them is the intention of the listener. Earwigging is intentional and often considered impolite or intrusive, while overhearing is accidental and neutral in connotation.
