voyeurism
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of voyeurism
Explanation
Voyeurism is a strange type of behavior in which someone gets turned on by watching other people, especially in sexual situations. There are a lot of odd people in the world, including those who have an extreme, often sexual interest in watching other people — who may or may not be having sex. These voyeurs get off more on watching than doing. Some people might volunteer to be watched, but other times voyeurism involves someone watching another person without their knowledge. This is illegal and very creepy.
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.
Yet the incorporation into this already complex dynamic of the class divide—which figures here as something like a barbed-wire fence that’s draped in velvet—further sharpens the exploitative edge of nonfiction cinema’s natural voyeurism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Such discussions helped establish the difference between witnessing as a matter of civic responsibility and leering voyeurism.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
Her caged parakeet in the upper corner stares back at us, acknowledging our voyeurism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
“Talk shows are in the middle of the voyeurism spectrum — too curated by time, pacing and commercial interruptions to feel really intimate and too restrained to be thrilling.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026
While filming in public is rarely a crime, Wera Hobhouse, Lib Dem MP for Bath, said the videos fall into a "legal grey area" that could break voyeurism and harassment laws.
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
