32 Useful Words to Describe Looking or Seeing

As a writer I often gaze out the window while searching for something else for my characters to do besides gaze out the window. There must be something else to look at and some other way to describe seeing. Here are 31 useful words for looking or seeing. Some of these should be used more sparingly than others, and some should be used only in very specific contexts.

  1. Watch
  2. Notice
  3. Glimpse
  4. Gaze
  5. Peek
  6. Spot
  7. View
  8. Eye
  9. Survey
  10. Leer
  11. Study
  12. Gawk
  13. Ogle
  14. Observe
  15. Goggle
  16. Witness
  17. Turn attention to
  18. Check out
  19. Spy
  20. Search
  21. Scan
  22. Inspect
  23. Detect
  24. Examine
  25. Take stock of
  26. Scope out
  27. Scrutinize
  28. Behold
  29. Regard
  30. Contemplate
  31. Peer
  32. Glower