tourist

noun

tour·​ist ˈtu̇r-ist How to pronounce tourist (audio)
Synonyms of touristnext
1
: one that makes a tour for pleasure or culture
2
: tourist class
tourist adjective or adverb

Synonyms of tourist

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of tourist in a Sentence

The museums attract a lot of tourists. In the summer the town is filled with tourists. The tourists defeated the home side.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Officials in Pattaya, where international tourist arrivals have dropped because of travel disruptions and soaring fuel prices stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, say the visit is expected to inject about $3 million into the local economy. — Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026 Brightly colored and casual beach attire is a no-fail way to get flagged as a vulnerable tourist while abroad. — Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2026 The southern Sinai peninsula is a popular tourist destination, with many travelers visiting the region to snorkel and dive in the Red Sea, the outlet reported. — Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026 The accident happened on a road linking the tourist resorts of Dahab and Nuweiba in South Sinai province, the Egyptian Health Ministry said in a statement. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tourist

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tourist was in 1775

Phrases Containing tourist

Rhymes for tourist

See All Rhymes for tourist

Browse Nearby Words

tourism
tourist
tourist attractions
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tourist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tourist. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

tourist

noun
tour·​ist ˈtu̇r-əst How to pronounce tourist (audio)
: a person who travels for pleasure
tourist adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All