Synonyms

sightsee

American

[sahyt-see] / ˈsaɪtˌsi /

verb (used without object)

to go about seeing places and things of interest.

In Rome, we only had two days to sightsee.

verb (used with object)

to go about seeing the major sights of.

We had only two days to sightsee Rome.

sightsee British

/ ˈsaɪtˌsiː /

verb

informal to visit the famous or interesting sights of (a place)

"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

Other Word Forms

sightseer

noun

Etymology

Origin of sightsee

1825–35; back formation from sightseer or sightseeing

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.

My friends don’t seem to care either, as they plan to use the event as a reason to sightsee in the area or visit family.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 26, 2025

"In Washington they suspect with good reason that the journalist didn't fly to Moscow to sightsee," NTV's presenter commented.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2024

Iowa took the hour drive to New York on Thursday to take in a Broadway show and sightsee.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 6, 2024

Visitors are advised to be conscious of their health and to hike short distances or sightsee in their air-conditioned cars.

From Washington Times • Jul. 20, 2023

Ophie and her mother had gone to see one of the Allegheny River’s many dams after they’d arrived, a trip to sightsee a bit in their new home.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland

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