as in alert
paying close attention usually for the purpose of anticipating approaching danger or opportunity
the night watchman, who was usually vigilant, apparently dozed off and didn't notice the vandals sneaking in
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vigilant
Authorities are urging residents and campers in the area to remain vigilant and follow bear safety practices, including storing food away from sleeping areas and avoiding contact with bears of any size.
—
Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2025
Wheeler urged people in the area to be vigilant and use caution.
—Kate Reilly, NBC news, 4 Oct. 2025
Lisi urged people to remain vigilant.
—Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2025
While synagogues are especially vigilant during the Jewish high holidays, Shira Hutt, executive vice president of the Jewish Federations of North America, said safety is something most worry about year-round nowadays.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vigilant
Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2025
Wheeler urged people in the area to be vigilant and use caution.
—Kate Reilly, NBC news, 4 Oct. 2025
Lisi urged people to remain vigilant.
—Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2025
While synagogues are especially vigilant during the Jewish high holidays, Shira Hutt, executive vice president of the Jewish Federations of North America, said safety is something most worry about year-round nowadays.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vigilant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vigilant
Adjective
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Be alert to anything that seems suspicious; this could be a person’s behavior, unclaimed packages, unusual activity, and vehicles.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
13 Oct. 2025
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Residents are advised to remain alert to rapidly changing weather conditions and to follow safety guidance from local emergency officials.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Pam Bondi got to tilt her neck up to stay awake.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Oct. 2025
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One major discrepancy came from how long children were awake without parents realizing it.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Their watchful eyes and swift response can make all the difference in a water emergency.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Oct. 2025
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His Emmys keep a watchful eye from beside his TV.—
Katherine Laidlaw,
HubSpot,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Oct. 2025
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Integrating such a messy light source into a silicon photonics chip required careful engineering.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The docuseries also included an allegation that Michaels was aware of the administration of caffeine pills to contestants — claims that Michaels quickly and vigorously denied.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Oct. 2025
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Without nerve sensation, the patients weren’t aware of festering ulcers and infections, which therefore went untreated until amputation was the only option.—
Carrie Arnold,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vigilant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vigilant. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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