observe
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to see, watch, perceive, or notice.
He observed the passersby in the street.
- Antonyms
- ignore
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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.
-
to keep or maintain in one's action, conduct, etc..
You must observe quiet.
-
to obey, comply with, or conform to.
to observe laws.
- Antonyms
- ignore
-
to show regard for by some appropriate procedure, ceremony, etc..
to observe Palm Sunday.
- 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 ).
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)
Related Words
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
- nonobserving adjective
- nonobservingly adverb
- observable adjective
- observableness noun
- observably adverb
- observedly adverb
- observingly adverb
- preobserve verb (used with object)
- quasi-observed adjective
- reobserve verb
- self-observed adjective
- unobserved adjective
- unobserving adjective
- well-observed adjective
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”
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.
The next step is determining whether reproducing this unexpected distribution is itself computationally difficult or whether the observed errors caused the device to lose its 'quanutmness'.
From Science Daily
While it does not involve dramatic structural changes, the team still observed meaningful shifts in network organization.
From Science Daily
The approach allowed them to observe interactions that normally happen too quickly to track.
From Science Daily
That means it can explain how and why intelligence works, rather than just observing that it does, which has been a struggle with transformer-based models.
In other words, the coronagraph acts like an artificial Moon, blocking the Sun's bright surface to let scientists continuously observe its faint outer corona -something the real Moon does only during eclipses.
From BBC
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.
