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Synonyms

shopping

American  
[shop-ing] / ˈʃɒp ɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act of a person who shops.

  2. the facilities or merchandise available to those who shop.

    Chicago has good shopping.

adjective

  1. of, for, or pertaining to examining and buying merchandise.

    a shopping trip.
shopping British  
/ ˈʃɒpɪŋ /

noun

  1. a number or collection of articles purchased

  2. the act or an instance of making purchases

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of shopping

First recorded in 1755–65; shop + -ing 1, -ing 2

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.

He would take members’ wives antique shopping or sit through movies with the children of members who were bored at the tournament.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

That helps explain why Chinese malls and shopping districts increasingly lean on pop-ups, exhibitions, and themed retail to turn online enthusiasm into offline foot traffic.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

In the Slate Plus episode: Do men suck at grocery shopping?

From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026

When shopping for a financial adviser, you’ll find that some practitioners really want your business.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

One Saturday morning, her mom asked, “Renata, how about going clothes shopping today?”

From "Wolfie & Fly" by Cary Fagan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.