voyeur

[ vwah-yur, voi-; French vwa-yœr ]

/ vwɑˈyɜr, vɔɪ-; French vwaˈyœr /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR voyeur ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural vo·yeurs [vwah-yurz, voi-; French vwa-yœr] /vwɑˈyɜrz, vɔɪ-; French vwaˈyœr/.

a person who engages in voyeurism.

RELATED WORDS

watcher, peeper, scopophiliac

Nearby words

Compare Peeping Tom.

Origin of voyeur

1915–20; < French, equivalent to voi(r) to see (< Latin vidēre) + -eur -eur

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

Examples from the Web for voyeur

There is no better place in the world for a voyeur like me to be constantly amused.
Helmut Newton Book ‘World Without Men’ Returns|Isabel Wilkinson|April 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A viewer of a Metsu scene should also feel like a participant in it, not like a remote, Vermeer-ish voyeur.
Gabriel Metsu, Vermeer's Forgotten Rival|Blake Gopnik|April 29, 2011|DAILY BEAST
To hear Moore dissect that last scene, she was as much the voyeur of the moment as the participant.
Julianne Moore's Dangerous Beauty|Gina Piccalo|July 7, 2010|DAILY BEAST
And as soon as that thing comes off, they better clear a path to the bar at Voyeur.
Lindsay Lohan Heads to Jail|Rebecca Dana|July 5, 2010|DAILY BEAST

People want to know why a tab with an item called "Voyeur" in it wasn't flagged by the prudes at the RNC.
The GOP's Fiscally Responsible Strip-Club Bill|Tracy Quan|March 31, 2010|DAILY BEAST
He ate with such visible pleasure that Perry felt like a voyeur.
Makers|Cory Doctorow
It was obviously not the case of a voyeur spying on others—not with the kind of excitement the running man had shown.
Eight Keys to Eden|Mark Irvin Clifton

British Dictionary definitions for voyeur

voyeur

/ (vwaɪˈɜː, French vwajœr) /

noun

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

Derived Formsvoyeurism, nounvoyeuristic, adjectivevoyeuristically, adverb

Word Origin for voyeur

C20: French, literally: one who sees, from voir to see, from Latin vidēre

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

Medicine definitions for voyeur

voyeur

[ voi-yûr′ ]

n.

A person who derives sexual gratification from observing the naked bodies or sexual acts of others, especially from a secret vantage point.

An obsessive observer of sordid or sensational subjects.