watchful

[woch-fuh l]

See more synonyms for watchful on Thesaurus.com

adjective

vigilant or alert; closely observant: The sentry remained watchful throughout the night.
Archaic. wakeful.

Origin of watchful

First recorded in 1540–50; watch + -ful

Related formswatch·ful·ly, adverbwatch·ful·ness, nounself-watch·ful·ness, nounun·watch·ful, adjectiveun·watch·ful·ly, adverbun·watch·ful·ness, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for watchful on Thesaurus.com

1. attentive, heedful, careful, circumspect, cautious, wary.

Synonym study

1. See alert.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for watchful

Contemporary Examples

There was no shelling this time, but there was the hum of watchful drones.
Gaza ‘Mass Execution’ Investigated
Jesse Rosenfeld
August 5, 2014
Under the watchful eye of Zuckerberg, Facebook’s policy seems to be “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”
WhatsApp Experiences Massive Outage Days After Facebook Acquisition, Internet Blames Zuckerberg
Marlow Stern
February 22, 2014
Fuming, Jesse keeps a watchful eye on Walt, but he doesn't speak, or move.
The Daily Beast Staff Picks Their Favorite ‘Breaking Bad’ Moments (VIDEO)
The Daily Beast
September 28, 2013
“Nickelodeon was nothing short of amazing to work for, and they had their watchful eye on us all,” he said.
The Amanda Bynes Meltdown: What Former Child Stars Are Saying
Kevin Fallon
June 4, 2013
Will the foreign depositors view 15% as the simple cost of stashing their money out of the watchful eye of their own government?
Cyprus to Small Depositors: We Won't Take Quite So Much of Your Money
Megan McArdle
March 18, 2013

Historical Examples

Robert's suspicions were lulled to sleep, and he ceased to be as vigilant and watchful as he had been.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
The Legislature is the watchful guardian over the public purse.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
The reports of the rifles and cannon kept every one alert and watchful.
The Rock of Chickamauga
Joseph A. Altsheler
The regiment after salving its wounds resumed its watchful march.
The Rock of Chickamauga
Joseph A. Altsheler
Refreshed and watchful, the regiment rode away from Bellevue.
The Rock of Chickamauga
Joseph A. Altsheler

British Dictionary definitions for watchful

watchful

adjective

vigilant or alert
archaic not sleeping

Derived Formswatchfully, adverbwatchfulness, noun

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 watchful

adj.

c.1500, waccheful, from watch (v.) + -ful. Related: Watchfulness.

watchful

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}watchful

Synonyms

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for watchful

Contemporary Examples

There was no shelling this time, but there was the hum of watchful drones.

Under the watchful eye of Zuckerberg, Facebook’s policy seems to be “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”

Fuming, Jesse keeps a watchful eye on Walt, but he doesn't speak, or move.

“Nickelodeon was nothing short of amazing to work for, and they had their watchful eye on us all,” he said.

Will the foreign depositors view 15% as the simple cost of stashing their money out of the watchful eye of their own government?

Historical Examples

Robert's suspicions were lulled to sleep, and he ceased to be as vigilant and watchful as he had been.

The Legislature is the watchful guardian over the public purse.

The reports of the rifles and cannon kept every one alert and watchful.

The regiment after salving its wounds resumed its watchful march.

Refreshed and watchful, the regiment rode away from Bellevue.

watchful

Word Origin and History for watchful

adj.

Origin of watchful