voyeuristic

IPA/ˌvɔɪəˈrɪstɪk/
KK[vˌɔɪjərˈɪstɪk]IPA/ˌvwɑːjəˈrɪstɪk/

voyeuristic — adjective

  • voyeuristicpositive
  • more voyeuristiccomparative
  • most voyeuristicsuperlative

1. involving a desire to secretly watch other people in private settings — often in

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

involving a desire to secretly watch other people in private settings — often in sexual or intimate situations — in order to feel enjoyment

Example

The documentary used hidden cameras in a voyeuristic style that made viewers feel uneasy.

collocation: voyeuristic style describing media technique

Yan found the reality show's voyeuristic focus on people's bedrooms deeply uncomfortable.

Common collocations
  • voyeuristic camera angle
  • voyeuristic gaze
  • voyeuristic footage
  • voyeuristic pleasure
Synonyms
  • surreptitious

    focuses on the secrecy of the act rather than the pleasure gained

  • invasive

    emphasises the violation of privacy, common in media criticism

  • prurient

    stronger sexual connotation; more formal and literary

Antonyms
  • respectful

    showing proper regard for others' privacy

  • open

    transparent rather than secretive in observation

Grammar Patterns

voyeuristic + noun (behaviour, style, content, pleasure)

Usage Note

Frequently used to criticise filmmaking, photography, or social media practices that treat people as objects to be watched without their knowledge or consent.

Common Mistakes

The film was voyeuristic because it had sex scenes.
The film was voyeuristic because the camera lingered on actors who did not know they were being filmed.
'voyeuristic' is about the act of secret watching itself, not about sexual content alone.
He is voyeuristic at parties.
He has a voyeuristic habit of watching other guests from behind a curtain.
The word is not used for casual looking; it implies deliberate, secret observation for personal pleasure.

2. relating to the habit of finding satisfaction by observing the difficulties or p

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

relating to the habit of finding satisfaction by observing the difficulties or personal situations of other people, often through the media

Example

Blogs about celebrity divorces can stir a voyeuristic curiosity about the lives of the rich.

collocation: voyeuristic curiosity about [topic]

Salma felt a voyeuristic thrill watching the neighbours argue through her kitchen window.

Common collocations
  • voyeuristic media
  • voyeuristic television
  • voyeuristic interest
  • voyeuristic thrill
Synonyms
  • nosy

    less formal; implies prying into matters that do not concern you

  • intrusive

    focuses on the unwanted invasion of privacy rather than the pleasure taken

  • morbid

    specifically about finding pleasure in death, tragedy, or disaster

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

voyeuristic + noun (curiosity, interest, thrill, treatment, desire)

Usage Note

More common in everyday language than sense 1. Often used to describe media coverage that turns personal misfortune into entertainment. Subject is typically a TV show, article, blog, or social media platform rather than a person.

Common Mistakes

I am voyeuristic about my neighbours.
I feel a voyeuristic curiosity about what happens next door.
The adjective typically modifies a noun (curiosity, interest, thrill) rather than describing the person directly.

Word family

  • voyeur
    nounC1
  • voyeurism
    nounC1
  • voyeuristically
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

These words all relate to an excessive interest in others' affairs, but differ in scope and connotation. 'Nosy' is the most informal and generally neutral-to-negative — it describes a habit of prying into everyday matters that do not concern you ('a nosy neighbour who reads your mail'). 'Intrusive' focuses on the unwanted invasion of another person's space or privacy rather than on the pleasure taken; it applies to both people and technologies ('intrusive ads that track your browsing'). 'Morbid' is narrower, describing an unhealthy fascination with death, tragedy, or disaster ('morbid curiosity about a car accident'). 'Curious' is the broadest and most neutral — it simply means wanting to know, without implying the pleasure-in-observation element that 'voyeuristic' carries. Where voyeuristic suggests the observer enjoys the act of watching itself, a nosy person simply wants information, and a curious person has a general desire to learn.

nosy ↗intrusive ↗morbid ↗curious ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • voyeuristic streak
  • voyeuristic tendency
  • voyeuristic impulse

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Comes from the French word 'voyeur', meaning 'one who sees', which itself comes from the French verb 'voir' (to see), tracing back to Latin 'vidēre'. The suffix '-istic' turns the noun into an adjective meaning 'related to' or 'characterized by'. The term was first used in English in the early 1900s by psychologists to describe a specific sexual behaviour, and by the mid-1900s it had broadened to describe any form of pleasure taken from observing others without their knowledge.