Meaning & use
viewed
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“viewed” is a form of “view”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
looked at or watched something, especially carefully or for a purpose.
Grammar: Takes an object: they viewed the house. It is the past form of view.
Patterns
- view something
- view something from somewhere
We viewed three apartments before choosing one.
The doctor viewed the X-rays carefully.
Thousands viewed the exhibition on its first day.
verbtransitive
thought about or judged someone or something in a particular way.
Grammar: Often used in the passive pattern be viewed as: the plan was viewed as risky.
Patterns
- view someone/something as something
- be viewed as something
- be widely viewed as something
The change was viewed as a step forward.
Many people view him as the best player of his generation.
Her silence was viewed with suspicion.
verbtransitive
watched a program, video, or page on a screen or online.
Grammar: Common in digital contexts: the video was viewed a million times.
Patterns
- view a video
- be viewed online
The clip has been viewed over two million times.
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Word forms
| base form | view |
|---|---|
| third person singular | views |
| past tense | viewed |
| past participle | viewed |
| -ing form | viewing |
Common combinations
- widely viewed as
- She is widely viewed as the leading expert in the field.
- viewed with suspicion
- The offer was viewed with suspicion by the staff.
- viewed from a distance
- Viewed from a distance, the mountain looks like a sleeping giant.
- view something as a whole
- Try to view the problem as a whole before you fix the details.
Synonyms and how they differ
- seen
- Seen is more general and does not suggest careful or purposeful looking; viewed often implies attention or a formal purpose.
- regarded
- Regarded fits the 'judged in a certain way' sense and is slightly more formal than viewed.
- watched
- Watched suggests looking at something moving over time, while viewed can be a single act of looking.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: viewed or reviewed?
viewed vs reviewed
Reviewed means examined or gave an opinion about something; viewed simply means looked at or judged.
Practice
The new policy is widely ______ as a success.
Choose one answer.
The passive structure is be + past participle, so 'is viewed as' is correct. 'Viewing' would need a form of be as a continuous passive, which does not fit here, and 'views' is the wrong voice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “viewed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.