babysit

verb

ba·​by·​sit ˈbā-bē-ˌsit How to pronounce babysit (audio)
babysat ˈbā-bē-ˌsat How to pronounce babysit (audio) ; 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 If one of my parents needed to step out for a moment, there was no need to quickly find a nanny or go through the hassle of strapping a toddler into a car seat, because if my aunt couldn't babysit there were two teenagers floating around with no real responsibilities. Tanikia Carpenter, Parents, 19 Nov. 2023 So my mom hired the local neighborhood girls to babysit my sister, Chrissy. Matt Thompson, Spin, 26 Sep. 2023 On the day of Savannah’s death, Greninger was supposed to babysit. Suzy Khimm, NBC News, 13 Sep. 2023 Casey's mother had been best friends in childhood with Johnson's older sister and even helped babysit him. CBS News, 1 Aug. 2023 Sirocco’s temper can unleash powerful storms, which is why no one else in the kingdom dares come close, or so we’re told by Agnès (Géraldine Asselin), the exhausted fantasy writer who’s agreed to babysit the two sisters. Peter Debruge, Variety, 12 June 2023 Auburn sets up an oil-and-water dynamic, as circumstances — needing each other to babysit — emulsify them together. Vulture, 25 Apr. 2023 Despite Teddy offering to increase security around the hospital's daycare, Bailey decided to ask Lucas to babysit her daughter. Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2023 This is usually as a demand to babysit. Annie Lane, oregonlive, 30 Nov. 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'babysit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from babysitter

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of babysit was in 1944

Dictionary Entries Near babysit

Cite this Entry

“Babysit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/babysit. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

babysit

verb
ba·​by·​sit ˈbā-bē-ˌsit How to pronounce babysit (audio)
babysat -ˌsat How to pronounce babysit (audio) ; babysitting
: to care for children usually while the parents are away for a short time
babysitter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on babysit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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