watch
verb (used without object)
to be alertly on the lookout, look attentively, or observe, as to see what comes, is done, or happens.
watch
American
[woch]
/ wɒtʃ /
verb (used without object)
-
watches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
watched,
past participle, past
-
watching
present participle
-
to be alertly on the lookout, look attentively, or observe, as to see what comes, is done, or happens.
to watch while an experiment is performed.
-
to look or wait attentively and expectantly (usually followed byfor ).
to watch for a signal;
to watch for an opportunity.
-
to be careful or cautious.
Watch when you cross the street.
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to keep awake, especially for a purpose; remain vigilant, as for protection or safekeeping.
to watch with a sick person.
-
to keep vigil, as for devotional purposes.
-
to keep guard.
She was assigned to watch at the door.
verb (used with object)
-
watches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
watched,
past participle, past
-
watching
present participle
-
to keep under attentive view or observation, as in order to see or learn something; view attentively or with interest: to watch a football game.
to watch a play;
to watch a football game.
-
to contemplate or regard mentally.
to watch his progress.
-
to look or wait attentively and expectantly for.
to watch one's opportunity.
- Synonyms:
- await
-
to guard, tend, or oversee, especially for protection or safekeeping.
to watch the baby.
- Synonyms:
- protect
noun
-
watches
plural
-
close, continuous observation for the purpose of seeing or discovering something.
Their watch for the birds was unrewarding.
- Synonyms:
- attention, inspection
-
vigilant guard, as for protection or restraint.
to keep watch for prowlers.
- Synonyms:
- vigil
-
a keeping awake for some special purpose.
a watch beside a sickbed.
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a period of time for watching or keeping guard.
to stand the first watch.
-
a small, portable timepiece, as a wrist watch or pocket watch.
-
a chronometer.
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Nautical.
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a period of time, usually four hours, during which one part of a ship's crew is on duty, taking turns with another part.
-
the officers and crew who attend to the working of a ship for an allotted period of time.
-
-
one of the periods, usually three or four, into which the night was divided in ancient times, as by the Greeks or Hebrews.
the fourth watch of the night.
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a person or group that watches, as a lookout, guard, or sentinel.
A watch was posted at sunset.
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Also called storm watch. Meteorology. an announcement from the U.S. National Weather Service alerting the public that dangerous weather conditions are a possibility and that vigilance and precautionary preparations are advised: tornado watch.
hurricane watch;
tornado watch.
-
a flock of nightingales.
verb phrase
-
watch out to be on one's guard; be cautious.
Watch out for cars when you cross the road.
-
watch over to guard for protection or safekeeping.
She watched over us like a mother hen over her brood.
watch
1
British
/ wɒtʃ /
verb
-
to look at or observe closely or attentively
-
to wait attentively or expectantly
-
to guard or tend (something) closely or carefully
-
(intr) to keep vigil
-
(tr) to maintain an interest in
to watch the progress of a child at school
-
be careful! look out!
noun
-
-
a small portable timepiece, usually worn strapped to the wrist (a wristwatch ) or in a waistcoat pocket
-
( as modifier )
a watch spring
-
-
the act or an instance of watching
-
a period of vigil, esp during the night
-
(formerly) one of a set of periods of any of various lengths into which the night was divided
-
nautical
-
any of the usually four-hour periods beginning at midnight and again at noon during which part of a ship's crew are on duty
-
those officers and crew on duty during a specified watch
-
-
the period during which a guard is on duty
-
(formerly) a watchman or band of watchmen
-
on the lookout; alert
-watch
2
British
suffix
watch
More Idioms
Synonym Usage
Watch, look, see imply being aware of things around one by perceiving them through the eyes. To watch is to be a spectator, to look on or observe, or to fix the attention upon during passage of time: to watch while a procession passes. To look is to direct the gaze with the intention of seeing, to use the eyesight with attention: to look for violets in the spring; to look at articles displayed for sale. To see is to perceive with the eyes, to obtain a visual impression, with or without fixing the attention: animals able to see in the dark.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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watchsimple
-
watchessimple
-
have watchedperfect
-
has watchedperfect
-
am watchingprogressive
-
are watchingprogressive
-
is watchingprogressive
-
have been watchingperfect progressive
-
has been watchingperfect progressive
Past
-
watchedsimple
-
had watchedperfect
-
was watchingprogressive
-
were watchingprogressive
-
had been watchingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of watch
First recorded before 900; 1580–90 watch for def. 15; (verb) Middle English wacchen, Old English wæccan, doublet of wacian “to be awake”; (noun) Middle English wacche, Old English wæcce, derivative of wæccan; see wake 1
Explanation
When you watch something, you observe it or guard it — like when you watch the latest episode of your favorite television show or when you watch your baby cousin. You use the word watch (rather than look) when you'll be observing for a while, and with some care. If you agree to watch your neighbor's puppy, it means that you've promised to observe him carefully and make sure he doesn't get into trouble. When watch is a noun, it is the timepiece you wear on your wrist. Many people use their cell phones to get the time of day, instead of their watches.
Vocabulary lists containing watch
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:
Meghan's projects kept her visible and gave audiences something they could watch or buy.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Investors watch for an earnings report from Chinese technology giant Alibaba Group Holding ahead of the U.S. market open.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
For now, the gap in scale makes this a watch item, not an earnings story.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
So customers with Cox service have been unable to watch most of the team’s regular season baseball games for more than a decade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
He perked upright to watch for her approach but instead found himself whisked into the bright haze of a Recollection.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Exports of Swiss watches rose in July, driven primarily by strong performance in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
She’s so heavily involved in his football activities that she watches and breaks down film with him and comes to practices to support him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
O’Leary: I’ve moved more into sports collectible cards and watches this year.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
"My mum always watches the news to see if anything's happened, and my two sisters and nephew are really proud," she added.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
He watches as more drops trail down the surface of his cup, jaw pulsing.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
He told me how, as a boy, he watched Kadim being built for the first time, then watched again as the settlers there were forced out by the government twenty years later.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The scary thing: You might not even know you’re being watched because many states don’t require disclosure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Patterson watched this week's proceedings at Melbourne's Supreme Court via a live video link from her maximum-security prison, the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Melbourne's western suburbs.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
I watched the livestream and read Rosen’s brazen tweets upon leaving the courtroom.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
He watched Wolf pad over and lie down beside Renn with his muzzle between his paws, gazing at the pouch on her lap, and whining softly.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
William has faced the life-changing experience of supporting his wife through her cancer treatment while watching his father fight his own battle with the disease.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Traders will be closely watching his speech at next week's annual meeting of central bankers, economists and finance chiefs in Jackson Hole, hoping for some clarification on monetary policy.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
Now it can seem wasteful because many companies are watching AI token spending more carefully.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Some people watching last week's eclipse did see this familiar pearly color.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
It was astonishing, really, the quality of life she was able to lead in that crippled body, and watching her during the three years of her paralysis, I made another discovery about love.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
