adjective
-
vigilant or alert
-
archaic not sleeping
Related Words
See alert.
Other Word Forms
- self-watchfulness noun
- unwatchful adjective
- unwatchfully adverb
- unwatchfulness noun
- watchfully adverb
- watchfulness noun
Etymology
Origin of watchful
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.
She and her two siblings grew up under the watchful eye of a taxidermied chicken in a museum case that her parents picked up on their honeymoon.
Certain conversations are had away from Nguyen’s watchful camera, and we’re often only left with the aftermath as BTS tries to make do with the demands on their time and creativity.
From Salon
We entered a waiting room jammed with people and sat down under the watchful eyes of the soldier.
From Literature
Another woman in the lawsuits told The Times, “I want people to know that parents need to be more watchful of the police officer working in Explorer academies.”
From Los Angeles Times
The lesson: If you’re like us, with all your systems wired together in countless automatic ways, use a different account, or keep a watchful eye on all your systems.
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.
