watchful

adjective

watch·​ful ˈwäch-fəl 

ˈwȯch-

1

archaic

a

: not able or accustomed to sleep or rest : wakeful

b

: causing sleeplessness

c

: spent in wakefulness : sleepless

2

: carefully observant or attentive : being on the watch

watchfully

ˈwäch-fə-lē 

ˈwȯch-

adverb

watchfulness noun

Synonyms of watchful

• alert
• vigilant
• awake
• careful

Choose the Right Synonym for watchful

watchful, vigilant, wide-awake, alert mean being on the lookout especially for danger or opportunity.

watchful is the least explicit term.

the watchful eye of the department supervisor

vigilant suggests intense, unremitting, wary watchfulness.

eternally vigilant in the safeguarding of democracy

wide-awake applies to watchfulness for opportunities and developments more often than dangers.

wide-awake companies latched onto the new technology

alert stresses readiness or promptness in meeting danger or in seizing opportunity.

alert traders anticipated the stock market's slide

Examples of watchful in a Sentence

We need to be more watchful of our children.

The hotel is being built under the watchful eye of its architect.

Recent Examples on the Web

The spotlight surrounding Mac’s love life intensified, as his relationship piqued the interest of TMZ and other tabloids, along with the watchful eyes of millions of Arianators. — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026

Arlo Security Camera Deal Keep a watchful eye on what matters most with the Arlo Essential Security Camera 1080p HD (3rd Gen). — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026

Keeping a watchful eye over the shoot from a balcony above the soundstage floor are Sean Thomason and Conor Lastowka, RiffTrax’s longtime senior writers and producers. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

While CIOs and CTOs have been keeping a watchful eye on rogue AI agents from OpenAI, Anthropic, and other major AI labs, within enterprises, the bet on these autonomous systems is only getting bigger. — John Kell, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing watchful

• keep a watchful eye on (someone or something)
• under the watchful/vigilant eye of

Kids Definition

watchful

adjective

watch·​ful ˈwäch-fəl 

ˈwȯch-

: continually on the lookout especially for danger

watchfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

watchfulness noun