babysit
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
-
to take watchful responsibility for (a child).
We're looking for someone to babysit the kids in the evening.
-
to take watchful responsibility for; tend.
It will be necessary for someone to babysit the machine until it is running properly.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of babysit
First recorded in 1945–50
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.
See Examples For:
Parents who have family support nearby said that they saved about $1,915 per year on childcare by having willing grandparents babysit their kids or having family help buy groceries.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
On a Saturday, I will happily get up at 6 a.m. with coffee to babysit yeasted cinnamon rolls or start whisking hollandaise.
From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026
By then, Kent had already earned the trust of neighbors who hired him to mow their lawns or babysit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
One thing is clear: These lounges aren’t designed solely to babysit restless kids.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
"Tell him I babysit all the time," Ben said.
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
Yesterday, we babysat our granddaughter while our daughter and her husband went out to lunch to celebrate her birthday.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
Well, first of all, the version of “Mary Poppins” that babysat millions of us wouldn’t exist.
From Salon ● Dec. 13, 2025
As a high-schooler in the 1950s, Kay Washburn babysat for 50 hours to afford her $25 dream dress.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025
She babysat Lexi Jones, daughter of David Bowie and Iman, and appeared in a film nominated for best picture at the 2000 Academy Awards — all before turning 21.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2025
When she married my father, I was the once-a-month visitor who cleaned the kitchen without being told and babysat for free.
From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson
She earns £10 an hour babysitting, which she said had gone towards her £30 lessons alongside help from her parents.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
A number of Styles’ most committed fans work side gigs on top of their 9-to-5 to earn extra money for extra shows: dog walking, babysitting, or helping brands with their social media and digital marketing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Most employees now spend over six hours a week of their workday babysitting their work chatbots, the survey said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
Her version: "He needs somebody there for him 100 percent of the time ... That's not love, it's babysitting."
From Barron's ● May 6, 2026
JetBlue now has four hundred reservation agents, like Dolly, working at home in the Salt Lake City area, taking reservations —in between babysitting, exercising, writing novels, and cooking dinner.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
