window-shop

verb

win·​dow-shop ˈwin-dō-ˌshäp 

-də-

window-shopped; window-shopping; window-shops

intransitive verb

: to look at the displays in retail store windows without going inside the stores to make purchases

window-shopper noun

Examples of window-shop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Trek to the world-famous Hollywood Sign, admire the sweeping city views from the Griffith Observatory, window-shop along Rodeo Drive, and check out the Hollywood Walk of Fame. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 2024

On Market Street, the entertainment and fashion district of the upscale mega-suburb The Woodlands, north of the big city, people window-shop high-end boutiques and hit the many eateries at dusk when temperatures hovered in the 100s. —Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2023

But that isn’t the point of it, so take your time: sit in the gardens, marvel at the blooms, window-shop along the way, and bask in the romance of spring in Paris. —Christine Chitnis, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

window-shop

verb

win·​dow-shop

ˈwin-dō-ˌshäp,

-də-

: to look at the displays in store windows without going inside to buy

window-shopper noun