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:
She offered to babysit Leon while the parents took Ari to the hospital, his family reported in emotional statements submitted in the case.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 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
And further I suspect the newlyweds just want us on the trip to babysit my mother-in-law.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 8, 2025
We were so out of control that a lot of older kids’ parents didn’t allow them to babysit us.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025
She worked really long hours, which is why they hired Lourdes to babysit me.
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
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
Berkeley City Councilmember Ben Bartlett said Harris once babysat him when she was in junior high while he spent time at his aunt’s house in Oakland.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2024
From as early as he could remember, she’d babysat for him, made him food, and read him stories.
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
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
In July, they moved to Henderson, Nev., near Las Vegas, to make it easier to get to a grandchild, in case they need to provide emergency babysitting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
A word of caution: You have made a substantial tally of everything you have done for your daughter, including babysitting, making 529 contributions and providing generous IVF assistance.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 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
This obviously isn’t the same man, and I need to save most of my babysitting money for Dad, but I feel the urge to do something.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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