babysit

verb

ba·​by·​sit ˈbā-bē-ˌsit 

babysat ˈbā-bē-ˌsat  ; babysitting

intransitive verb

: to care for children usually during a short absence of the parents

broadly : to give care

babysit for a neighbor's pets

transitive verb

: to babysit for

She babysits her grandchildren.

broadly : mind, tend

babysit house plants

police babysitting a witness

babysitter noun

Examples of babysit in a Sentence

She babysits their kids on Saturday nights.

Recent Examples on the Web

Did Ed Gein actually babysit children? —Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025

In October 1953, 14-year-old Evelyn Hartley went missing in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, after she had been hired to babysit the 20-month-old daughter of a man named Viggo Rasmussen, and was never seen again. —Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025

Bobby Bones is about to be a dad — and his co-host is already offering to babysit for free. —Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025

At one point, the girl OP babysits had to go to the bathroom, so OP left the boy alone. —Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from babysitter

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

babysit

verb

ba·​by·​sit ˈbā-bē-ˌsit 

babysat -ˌsat  ; babysitting

: to care for children usually while the parents are away for a short time

babysitter noun