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

Now a mother of two, Diana spent much of the celebration in 1985 holding Harry while keeping a watchful eye on her eldest son. —Elle Meier, InStyle, 13 June 2026

In either case, the meteors literally bring their far-distant, otherwise-inaccessible parent bodies down to Earth, where watchful scientists can better study them. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 12 June 2026

Under the watchful gaze of head coach Andy Reid, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his teammates went through drills as the temperature hovered around a humid 90 degrees. —Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026

As day turned to night on Hollywood Boulevard, the 36-year-old singer did indeed arrive at the premiere under the watchful eye of her security team. —Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 9 June 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