window-shopping

window-shopping — noun

1. the activity of walking past shops and looking at the items shown in their windo

1.nounA2
Definition

the activity of walking past shops and looking at the items shown in their windows, without planning to buy anything

Example

On Saturday afternoons, Aoi and her best friend enjoy window-shopping in the Shibuya district.

present participle after 'enjoy'

Window-shopping is a cheap way for families to spend time together on weekends.

uncountable noun as singular subject

Common collocations
  • go window-shopping
  • do some window-shopping
  • spend time window-shopping
  • enjoy window-shopping
Synonyms
  • browsing

    browsing is broader — you can browse in a store or online, while window-shopping is specifically about looking at displays from outside

  • window-gazing

    less common; emphasizes the looking aspect rather than the shopping context

Antonyms
  • shopping

    shopping usually involves buying, while window-shopping excludes purchase

Grammar Patterns

go + window-shopping

do some + window-shopping

Usage Note

This is the most common sense. The verb pattern 'go window-shopping' is a fixed collocation — the headword functions like a gerund in this structure.

Common Mistakes

I did some window-shopping and bought a coat.
I went window-shopping but did not buy anything.
Window-shopping means only looking at displays, not making purchases.

2. browsing through products or services on websites or apps to see what is for sal

2.nounB1
Definition

browsing through products or services on websites or apps to see what is for sale, without planning to buy anything right away

Example

Cyrus spent an hour window-shopping on furniture websites before choosing a desk.

spend + time + verb-ing pattern

Online window-shopping helps Reema compare prices without leaving her apartment.

compound noun pre-modified by 'online'

Common collocations
  • online window-shopping
  • window-shopping on [website]
  • do window-shopping online
Synonyms
  • browsing online

    more general term that covers all kinds of web browsing, not just products or services

  • comparing prices

    focuses on the price-checking goal, while window-shopping includes any kind of looking

Antonyms
  • online shopping

    online shopping involves purchasing; online window-shopping is looking only

Grammar Patterns

go + window-shopping + on + [website/platform]

do some + online + window-shopping

Usage Note

Often used with the pre-modifier 'online' to distinguish from the physical sense. Common with verbs like 'spend time', 'do', and 'enjoy'. This sense has grown more frequent with the rise of e-commerce.

Common Mistakes

I went online window-shopping on Amazon and ordered a book.
I went online window-shopping on Amazon to compare prices.
Online window-shopping means looking without buying; if you place an order, it is simply 'shopping' or 'online shopping.'

3. the act of looking at the different possibilities open to you in a situation bef

3.nounB2
Definition

the act of looking at the different possibilities open to you in a situation before you decide what to do — for example, considering several job offers before choosing one, or evaluating different university programs before applying

Example

Before accepting the job offer, Christopher did some window-shopping among other positions.

do some + window-shopping + among + [options]

The committee did some window-shopping among design proposals, which delayed the project by a week.

do some + window-shopping + among + [options]

Common collocations
  • do some window-shopping among
  • window-shopping of [options]
  • treat as window-shopping
Synonyms
  • exploring options

    more formal and literal; lacks the light, informal tone of 'window-shopping'

  • sizing up

    informal; can carry a competitive or evaluative tone, while window-shopping is more neutral

Antonyms
  • committing

    committing is the act of making a final choice after the window-shopping phase

Grammar Patterns

do some + window-shopping + among + [options]

treat + [something] + as + window-shopping

Usage Note

This is a metaphorical extension of the literal senses. It always implies that the person is gathering information and has not yet made a commitment. The subject is typically a person or an organization considering alternatives. Avoid using this sense in formal writing.

Common Mistakes

We did some window-shopping and signed the contract right away.
We did some window-shopping among vendors before signing the contract.
Window-shopping in this sense always precedes a decision; it is the exploration phase, not the commitment itself.

Word family

  • window-shopper
    nounB1
  • window-shop
    verbB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Browsing is the broadest of these terms — you can browse in a library, a record store, or a website, and it does not involve the 'looking from outside' idea that window-shopping carries. Window-gazing is a near-synonym of window-shopping (sense 1) but is far less common and has a slightly more poetic or leisurely tone; it emphasises the act of gazing rather than the social activity of walking and looking. 'Window shopping' (written as two words without a hyphen) is simply a spelling variant of the headword and has the same meaning. Use window-shopping when you want to describe a specific leisure activity — walking past storefronts and enjoying the displays — rather than the general act of looking for information.

browsingwindow-gazingwindow shopping

Common collocations

Phrases

  • go window-shopping
  • do some window-shopping
  • spend time window-shopping
  • enjoy window-shopping
  • online window-shopping

Etymology

Old NorseOld EnglishAmerican English

The word is a compound of 'window' and 'shopping'. 'Window' comes from Old Norse 'vindauga' (wind-eye), referring to an opening in a wall for light and air. 'Shopping' traces back to Old English 'sceoppa', meaning a booth, stall, or small shop. The compound 'window-shopping' first appeared in American English around the early 1900s, when large retail stores began displaying goods in elaborate street-front windows as a form of advertising. The figurative sense (evaluating options before deciding) developed later in the 20th century.