voyeuristic

adjective

voy·​eur·​is·​tic ˌvwä-(ˌ)yər-ˈi-stik How to pronounce voyeuristic (audio) ˌvȯi-ər- How to pronounce voyeuristic (audio)
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a voyeur
voyeuristic drives
… confronting her beauty gave him a bad conscience and made him feel shamefully voyeuristicPhillip Roth
: relating to or derived from voyeurism
voyeuristic pleasure
Through the video surveillance system, Polly engages in voyeuristic eavesdropping.Judith Mayne
… to demonstrate that the voyeuristic thrill of watching a stripper ceases at the moment of nakedness.Mark Morris
voyeuristically adverb
In that film, the cameras voyeuristically followed actor Richard Gere as he worked out and dressed up. The Wall Street Journal

Examples of voyeuristic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Martel jettisons multiple drones into the sky overlooking the Chuschagasta native landscape in northern Argentina, acquiring the effect first of zoomed-in satellite footage, then of something more voyeuristic and frightening, adopting the viewpoint of colonialism itself. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2025 Reliving your teens from the safety of adulthood is the perfect voyeuristic formula. Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025 Yet there was something about the voyeuristic, predatory nature of American Appeal’s ad campaign that felt different, worse, beyond exploitative. Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025 In direct response to the show’s success, MTV debuted the reality show Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County a year later, and in 2006, Bravo countered with its own voyeuristic peek into the lives of the rich and fabulous—The Real Housewives of Orange County. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 7 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for voyeuristic

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of voyeuristic was in 1919

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Cite this Entry

“Voyeuristic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/voyeuristic. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

voyeuristic

adjective
voy·​eur·​is·​tic ˌvwä-(ˌ)yər-ˈis-tik How to pronounce voyeuristic (audio) ˌvȯi-ər- How to pronounce voyeuristic (audio)
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a voyeur
voyeuristic drives
voyeuristically adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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