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Synonyms

shopping

American  
[shop-ing] / ˈʃɒp ɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act of a person who shops.

  2. the facilities or merchandise available to those who shop.

    Chicago has good shopping.

adjective

  1. of, for, or pertaining to examining and buying merchandise.

    a shopping trip.
shopping British  
/ ˈʃɒpɪŋ /

noun

  1. a number or collection of articles purchased

  2. the act or an instance of making purchases

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of shopping

First recorded in 1755–65; shop + -ing 1, -ing 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It would mean deleting your delivery apps, making phone calls to other humans, leaving the house and going shopping in person.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

Along with her siblings, she now takes it in turns to look after Helen including preparing meals, doing shopping for her and looking after her.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

But so did the boomers shopping for a house in the early 1980s, when mortgage rates peaked above 18%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

That helps explain why Chinese malls and shopping districts increasingly lean on pop-ups, exhibitions, and themed retail to turn online enthusiasm into offline foot traffic.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

Still, just being with Miranda made everything seem golden until her mom called her to go shopping.

From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.