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onlooking

American  
[on-look-ing, awn-] / ˈɒnˌlʊk ɪŋ, ˈɔn- /

adjective

  1. looking on; observing; perceiving.

  2. looking onward or foreboding.


Etymology

Origin of onlooking

1655–65; on + looking ( def. ), after verb phrase look on

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

On Sept. 19, 2018, South Korea's defence minister and his North Korean counterpart signed the CMA in the North's capital, Pyongyang, accompanied by polite applause from the onlooking leaders.

From Reuters Nov. 22, 2023

Then you have the onlooking play, where they're beginning to think, "Hm, I wonder what somebody else is doing."

From Salon Oct. 6, 2023

In Virginia, bagpipes and The Star-Spangled Banner were performed in front of military personnel and onlooking civilians at the Pentagon.

From BBC Sep. 11, 2023

The pandemic has emphasized the importance of an onlooking crowd to the culture of sports.

From Scientific American Jul. 27, 2021

“Thank you,” the beggar said in a much stronger voice, and he bowed to the onlooking people.

From "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin

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