shopping

shopping — noun

1. visiting stores, markets, or websites to look at and pay for things you want or

1.nounA1
Definition

visiting stores, markets, or websites to look at and pay for things you want or need

Example

Noa went shopping at the new mall near her house last Saturday.

go + shopping (fixed phrase without 'to')

Online shopping has become very popular in Taiwan since the pandemic began.

compound noun: online shopping / window shopping

Common collocations
  • go shopping
  • do the shopping
  • online shopping
  • window shopping
  • grocery shopping
  • shopping trip
  • shopping spree
  • shopping mall
  • shopping center
Synonyms
  • buying

    more general — buying can be a single item; shopping implies browsing and selecting

  • purchasing

    more formal and business-oriented

  • browsing

    focuses on looking without necessarily buying

Grammar Patterns

go + shopping

do + the/some + shopping

Usage Note

Always uncountable — never 'shoppings'. The fixed phrase 'go shopping' does not take the preposition 'to'. Frequently paired with 'do': 'do the shopping' or 'do some shopping'.

Common Mistakes

I went to shopping yesterday.
I went shopping yesterday.
'go shopping' is a fixed phrase; do not add 'to'.
I made shopping this morning.
I did the shopping this morning.
use 'do' (not 'make') with shopping as an activity.
I have many shoppings to do.
I have a lot of shopping to do.
shopping is uncountable and has no plural form.

2. the items you have just bought from a store or supermarket, especially food and

2.nounA2
Definition

the items you have just bought from a store or supermarket, especially food and household supplies

Example

Christopher put his shopping on the kitchen counter and started to unpack the vegetables.

possessive pronoun + shopping (the goods)

Nadia put her shopping away and noticed the eggs were cracked.

possessive pronoun + shopping (the goods)

Common collocations
  • shopping list
  • shopping bag
  • shopping basket
  • shopping cart
  • unpack the shopping
  • put away the shopping
  • carry the shopping
Synonyms
  • purchases

    more formal, often used in business or receipts

  • groceries

    specifically food and household items bought at a supermarket

  • goods

    broader — can refer to any products, not just recently bought ones

Grammar Patterns

possessive + shopping

the + shopping

Usage Note

Uncountable noun — use 'a lot of shopping' or 'bags of shopping', not 'many shoppings'. Often preceded by a possessive adjective ('my shopping', 'your shopping') or a definite article ('the shopping').

Common Mistakes

I put my shoppings away.
I put my shopping away.
shopping is uncountable and does not take a plural -s ending.
Could you help me to carry my shopping's bags?
Could you help me carry my shopping bags?
'shopping bags' is a compound noun; no apostrophe needed.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Shopping' refers to the whole experience of visiting stores or websites to look at and select goods, often for enjoyment or as a regular task. 'Buying' is narrower — it focuses on the moment of exchange rather than the process of looking. 'Purchasing' is a formal synonym used mainly in business documents or official contexts. 'Window shopping' is a specific kind of shopping where you look at goods without intending to buy, often for entertainment. 'Browsing' is similar but can apply to any casual looking (online or in-store) without a specific purchase goal. For example, you might say 'I'm going shopping for a birthday gift' (the whole trip), but 'I bought a book' (just the transaction).

buyingpurchasingwindow shoppingbrowsing

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • go shopping
  • do the shopping
  • do some shopping

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'shopping' comes from 'shop' (a place where goods are sold) plus the suffix '-ing', which turns the verb 'to shop' into a noun describing the activity. 'Shop' itself traces back to Old English 'sceoppa', meaning a booth or stall where goods were sold. The use of 'shopping' for the activity of buying goods became common in the mid-1700s, and by the late 1800s it referred specifically to visiting stores for pleasure or regular household needs.