voyeur

American  

[vwah-yur, voi-, vwa-yœr] / vwɑˈyɜr, vɔɪ-, vwaˈyœr /

noun

plural

voyeurs

1. a person who engages in voyeurism.

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voyeur British  

/ vwaɪˈɜː, vwajœr /

noun

1. a person who obtains sexual pleasure or excitement from the observation of someone undressing, having intercourse, etc

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Other Word Forms

• voyeurism noun
• voyeuristic adjective
• voyeuristically adverb

Etymology

Origin of voyeur

First recorded in 1915–20; from French, equivalent to voi(r) “to see” (from Latin vidēre; video ( def. ) ) + -eur -eur

Example Sentences

For many of the gawkers and voyeurs, this is pure fantasy, a kind of calming, momentary escape.

From The Wall Street Journal

Seu tells the crowd that she has essentially done the same, “viewing the voyeurs” and taking photos of us throughout the performance, which are already posted to Instagram.

From Los Angeles Times

I’m not particularly good at TikTok as a human, or as a comedian, but I love being on TikTok as a voyeur.

From Los Angeles Times

As "voyeurs of morality", she adds, "we can't wait for the nice person to do something unexpectedly".

From BBC

The film’s long, languid takes make almost every scene feel like a beautifully composed tableau, turning us into curious voyeurs eager to demystify the hidden secrets found therein.

From Los Angeles Times