sightseer

sightseer — noun

1. a person who travels from one place to another to look at famous landmarks, hist

1.nounB1
Definition

a person who travels from one place to another to look at famous landmarks, historical buildings, or attractive scenery, usually while on holiday

Example

Maja is an avid sightseer who spends every free day exploring museums and monuments.

collocation: avid sightseer

The main square was crowded with sightseers taking photos of the cathedral.

collocation: crowded with sightseers

Common collocations
  • avid sightseer
  • fellow sightseer
  • crowds of sightseers
  • busloads of sightseers
  • attract sightseers
Synonyms
  • tourist

    broader term for anyone travelling for pleasure; sightseers are a type of tourist who focus on visiting landmarks

  • visitor

    more general; can include those on business or visiting family, not necessarily sightseeing

  • holidaymaker

    chiefly British; emphasises taking a holiday, not specifically visiting sights

Antonyms
  • local

    someone who lives in the area rather than visiting it as a sightseer

Usage Note

Frequently appears in compound phrases like 'fellow sightseers,' 'crowds of sightseers,' and 'busloads of sightseers.' Typically used in tourism contexts involving cultural or historical landmarks — not for natural scenery alone.

Common Mistakes

I met many sights at the museum.
I met many sightseers at the museum.
'sights' are things to see; 'sightseers' are the people who see them.
The city is full of sightseers buildings.
The city is full of sightseers looking at the old buildings.
'sightseer' is a noun, not an adjective, so it cannot modify another noun directly.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Sightseer, tourist, visitor, holidaymaker, and traveler all describe people away from their usual home, but differ in emphasis. A sightseer specifically visits landmarks, monuments, or scenic spots — the core activity is looking at attractions. Tourist is the broadest term, covering anyone travelling for pleasure, including sightseers, beachgoers, and shoppers. Visitor is neutral and can include people travelling on business or to see family. Holidaymaker (chiefly British) focuses on taking a holiday rather than a specific itinerary. Traveler often implies a longer or more independent journey. For example: 'The museum was full of sightseers on Saturday, while most holidaymakers stayed at the beach.' 'The city attracts both tourists who come for the nightlife and sightseers who explore the temples.'

tourist ↗visitor ↗holidaymakertraveler ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • sightseer attraction
  • sightseer season

Phrases

  • busloads of sightseers
  • crowds of sightseers

Prepositions

  • among sightseers
  • for sightseers

Etymology

English

Sightseer is a compound formed from 'sight' (something worth seeing) and 'seer' (one who sees). The word dates from the early 1800s, originally written as 'sight-seer', and reflects the growth of leisure travel and organised tourism during the Industrial Revolution. The related noun 'sightseeing' appeared around the same time.