sightseeing

[sahyt-see-ing]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sightseeing ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of visiting and seeing places and objects of interest.

adjective

seeing, showing, or used for visiting sights: a sightseeing bus.

Origin of sightseeing

First recorded in 1840–50; sight + seeing

sightsee

[sahyt-see]

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.

Origin of sightsee

1825–35; back formation from sightseer or sightseeing

Related formssight·se·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for sightseeing

trek, driving, ride, flying, excursion, tour, transit, movement, navigation, trip, sailing, travel, swing, explore, cruise, fly, sail, proceed, migrate, move

Examples from the Web for sightseeing

Contemporary Examples of sightseeing

Nearby, an Italian businessman worked a deal, and a visiting couple unwound in the romantic setting after a day of sightseeing.
The Classic Hotel Bar Checks Back In
Kayleigh Kulp
July 26, 2014
They passed a sightseeing bus from which tourists were taking photos of an unexpected sight.
She Is Trayvon Martin
Michael Daly
July 15, 2013
At college, when I was sightseeing among white guys and we all pointed out the females we thought looked good.
I Want a Bigger Butt
Stanley Crouch
December 1, 2009

Historical Examples of sightseeing

We had come, leisurely, by river, and were sightseeing every moment.
It Happened in Egypt
C. N. Williamson
She thought about it a great deal while she and Aunt Em were driven about sightseeing.
Gloria and Treeless Street
Annie Hamilton Donnell
Back a year ago, the average patrol was nothing but a sightseeing tour.
Slingshot
Irving W. Lande
Sightseeing was always but incidental to the higher service of the Master.
George Muller of Bristol
Arthur T. Pierson
The first few days of sightseeing were passed in the city and its environs.
Janet's Love and Service
Margaret M Robertson

British Dictionary definitions for sightseeing

sightseeing

noun informal

the activity of visiting the famous or interesting sights of a place
(as modifier)sightseeing trip

sightsee

verb -sees, -seeing, -saw or -seen

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

Derived Formssightseer, noun

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

Word Origin and History for sightseeing

also sight-seeing, 1821, from sight (cf. sights) + present participle of see (v.). Sight-see (v.) is from 1824. Sight-seer first recorded 1821.