What is the word for people who deliberately listen to other people's talk?
I want one word substitution for it. I thought intruder but it is incorrect.
Solution 1:
That would be: Eavesdropper
The verb eavesdrop is to: "Secretly listen to a conversation"
(You didn't explicitly state that they were doing it surreptitiously but I assumed that it was implied by the nature of the question.)
Solution 2:
If you want an informal word for this you could try earwig. In this context earwig is normally a verb:-
- to eavesdrop [Collins English Dictionary via the Free Dictionary]
but I have heard many times the person doing this referred to as an earwig.
Solution 3:
Depending on context, consider;
overlistener
overlisten: Rare to listen so as to overhear or eavesdrop OED Drexel University Library Services
prying ears Ngram
Carmen shrugged at Katie's questioning look, and stepped through the door, closing it against prying ears. Your Dictionary
listener-in
listen in (on)
: to listen to a conversation between others; eavesdrop. AHD
Bystanders are those who are nearby, overhearers are possible interpreters and these include listener-ins (those that are attempting to listen) and eavesdroppers (those that are secretly listening) Google Books
be a fly on the wall
: to surreptitiously listen to another person's conversation Quotations Link
wiretapper
wiretap
: (n.) an act of secretly listening to or recording a person's telephone or Internet conversations, often as part of a police investigation.
: (v.) to listen in on by means of a wiretap. The Free Dictionary