observant
[uh b-zur-vuh nt]
- quick to notice or perceive; alert.
- looking at, watching, or regarding attentively; watchful.
- careful in the observing of a law, custom, religious ritual, or the like.
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Origin of observant
Synonyms
See more synonyms for observant on Thesaurus.com1. perceptive. 2. attentive, heedful, mindful, aware. 3. obedient.
Antonyms
1. dull, slow. 2. heedless.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for observant
Contemporary Examples
Really quippy, relevant, observant, and, daresay, relatable dialogue.
Kamala's character will struggle to exist in her observant Muslim family.
Even in the most ridiculous moments, an observant, compassionate intelligence shines.
Venus was the quiet one: pensive and observant of everything around her.
Once, when I spent a semester teaching in America, I had several very worldly students who had never met an observant Jew before.
Historical Examples
And if I were to be at all observant of him, it must be from fear, not love.
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)Samuel Richardson
We have been petting the children, and, like other children, these are a trifle too observant.
Brighter Britain! (Volume 1 of 2)William Delisle Hay
The observant trio had noticed an additional cause for uneasiness.
A Waif of the MountainsEdward S. Ellis
At least one of the three ladies possessed an observant mind.
The Hound From The NorthRidgwell Cullum
The doctor, observant and self-possessed, muttered, "He is very capable of that."
Nostromo: A Tale of the SeaboardJoseph Conrad
observant
- paying close attention to detail; watchful or heedful
- adhering strictly to rituals, ceremonies, laws, etc
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for observant
adj.
1590s, from observe + -ant, or else from French observant, past participle of observer (see observance). In reference to Judaism, from 1902. As a noun from late 15c. Related: Observantly; observantness.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper