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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

They also observe that Waterhouse has also never been in a public-markets facing role and will be located in the U.K., far from CSL’s core manufacturing and major markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

Working with the high-resolution macromolecular cryo-electron microscopy facility at UBC's faculty of medicine, the team was able to observe precisely how statin molecules interact with the muscle protein.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

We know it’s ho-hum to observe that there’s too much money in campaigns.

From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2026

"But then I remembered that we gods send omens—we don't observe them."

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

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

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

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

“Comrade,” Mr. Gude observes, now became an “almost sacred word.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

“Most of it comes out of the ground with the consistency of cold peanut butter,” observes economist David I. Levine of UC Berkeley.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

In terms of precipitation, she observes, Antarctica “is the driest large area on Earth, drier overall than any large desert.”

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Beyond these physical improvements, researchers observed major changes in immune activity.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

"We have not observed any signs that North Korea is deploying new types of weaponry," Jang Do-young, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

The Met Office reports no clear observed trend in windstorm strength or frequency across the UK, external and wider North Atlantic.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

Abnormal RNA accumulation has been observed in several conditions, including certain cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, and disorders associated with aging.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026

“Well, he ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed, is he?” she observed.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

That approach involves observing large numbers of galaxies and extrapolating the results to determine how much helium existed before later generations of stars altered their chemical composition.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 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

But it’s also worth observing: He may be completely honest about how he has zero interest in running for president next year.

From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2026

To prepare for filming, Eleazar spent a month in Los Angeles, mimicking Misty’s routine and observing the locals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Spied Nathan observing her when she left for work or when Lydia dropped her off from a sleepover.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English

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