Synonyms

observe

American

[uhb-zurv] / əbˈzɜrv /

verb (used with object)

to see, watch, perceive, or notice.

He observed the passersby in the street.

Antonyms:

ignore
to regard with attention, especially so as to see or learn something.

I want you to observe her reaction to the judge's question.

Synonyms:

note

Antonyms:

ignore
to watch, view, or note for a scientific, official, or other special purpose.

to observe an eclipse.

Antonyms:

ignore
to state by way of comment; remark.

He observed frequently that clerks were not as courteous as they used to be.

Synonyms:

say, mention
to keep or maintain in one's action, conduct, etc..

You must observe quiet.
to obey, comply with, or conform to.

to observe laws.

Synonyms:

fulfill, follow

Antonyms:

ignore
to show regard for by some appropriate procedure, ceremony, etc..

to observe Palm Sunday.

Synonyms:

keep, celebrate

Antonyms:

ignore
to perform duly or solemnize (ceremonies, rites, etc.).

Antonyms:

ignore
to note or inspect closely for an omen or sign of future events.

verb (used without object)

to notice.
to act as an observer.
to remark or comment (usually followed by on orupon ).

observe British

/ əbˈzɜːv /

verb

(tr; may take a clause as object) to see; perceive; notice

we have observed that you steal
(when tr, may take a clause as object) to watch (something) carefully; pay attention to (something)
to make observations of (something), esp scientific ones
to make a comment or remark

the speaker observed that times had changed
(tr) to abide by, keep, or follow (a custom, tradition, law, holiday, etc)

"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

Synonym Usage

Observe, witness imply paying strict attention to what one sees or perceives. Both are “continuative” in action. To observe is to mark or be attentive to something seen, heard, etc.; to consider carefully; to watch steadily: to observe the behavior of birds, a person's pronunciation. To witness, formerly to be present when something was happening, has added the idea of having observed with sufficient care to be able to give an account as evidence: to witness an accident.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of observe

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English observen, from Middle French observer, from Latin observāre “to watch, regard, attend to,” equivalent to ob- ob- + servāre “to keep, save, pay heed to”

Explanation

Observe is often used to mean “remark” or “comment.” When trying to start up a conversation with an attractive stranger, you might observe that it’s raining outside (but hopefully you’ll come up with something more interesting to say). Observe has several secondary meanings, one of which is “notice” or “discover.” If you start a conversation with that attractive stranger, you’ll probably observe whether he or she seems interested in talking to you. Observe can also mean “watch carefully with great interest”; you might be tempted to observe the attractive stranger in this manner, but that might make him or her uncomfortable. Try to stay cool.

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Vocabulary lists containing observe

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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:

observe observes observed observing

Doyle, who was a doctor himself, had been one of Bell’s students, serving as the clerk responsible for choosing patients for object lessons, giving the future author ample time to observe the observer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

BBC Sport was invited along to a qualification event at a gym in Southampton to observe runners logging their times on the global virtual leaderboard.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

It will also observe the planet's other moon, Deimos, although it will not land on it.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

Ultracold atoms are particularly useful for this purpose because researchers can precisely adjust their interactions and observe how the resulting quantum states change.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

After my cage was taken care of, I felt well enough to observe Mrs. Brisbane more carefully.

From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney

“Space, in this sense, is a relation between things or events,” the author observes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

To investigate Masaya's underground activity, the researchers analyzed measurements collected by the Sentinel-1 satellite, which observes the volcano approximately once every 12 days.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

“These responses are necessarily assumptions,” observes economist Jeffrey L. Hoopes of the University of North Carolina.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Calvasina observes, however, that tech outside of the United States still looks appealing on performance, valuation and demand metrics.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

He stops by the girl with red lips and observes Saint Sarah.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

Although the treatment did not significantly lower blood pressure compared with a placebo device across all participants, researchers observed encouraging results in patients with more severe hypertension.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026

Those resorts were once synonymous with the most generic budget vacations — packed buffets, weak drinks, brightly colored beachfront hotels that vacationers never leave — observed Bernstein analysts in a note on Friday.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026

“At this time, we have not observed any lifting of restrictions on Starlink,” Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense-technology adviser to Zelensky, said Friday on Telegram.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Asked about the North's loudspeaker claims, Jang said "routine maintenance work" had been observed even before it had issued its latest statements.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

“There are a lot of agave plants,” Nathan observed.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

In 2005, as Northern Ireland's peace process was being cemented, the group was observing a ceasefire.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

He wrote in a May 1949 letter that his wife and another unnamed individual “reported observing six objects over Catalina Island on the night of April 28, 1949,” according to the files released Friday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

“People observing have a clearer sense of ‘this is for me, I’m that person,’” Kirmayer said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

In the coming weeks, the team plans to test the coronagraph's ability to block unwanted light, an essential capability for observing faint objects near much brighter ones.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

Charles Guiteau was close by, intently observing the president from the back of the room.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023