keep vigil
idiom
: to stay in a place and quietly wait, pray, etc., for a period of time
She kept vigil at the bedside of her ailing son.
Examples of keep vigil in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some members of the vigilante groups patrol their areas wielding automatic and double-barrel rifles, while others keep vigil through sandbag-walled bunkers.
—
Aakash Hassan, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 July 2023
Even so, Gittleson gently turned down the caller’s offer to keep vigil.
—Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 28 Apr. 2023
Only Ben, the youngest at 67, agreed to keep vigil with his 99-year-old father.
—Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2022
As Ayra’s parents keep vigil at home over their tiny fighter, their want other families to know: With this virus still surging, be ready for anything.
—Christina Zdanowicz, CNN, 20 Nov. 2022
On several occasions, the political refugee and activist Wafa Mustafa, 31, traveled from Berlin to Koblenz to keep vigil outside the courthouse.
—New York Times, 25 Jan. 2022
Wake work means looking backward to keep vigil for the death lying in the wake and looking forward to the ship’s destination with hope and despair.
—Lee M. Pierce, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2021
Blocks scheduled for night deliveries will sometimes keep vigil at someone’s house over coffee or drinks to supervise a smooth passage from yard to yard.
—Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020
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Aakash Hassan, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 July 2023
Even so, Gittleson gently turned down the caller’s offer to keep vigil.
—Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 28 Apr. 2023
Only Ben, the youngest at 67, agreed to keep vigil with his 99-year-old father.
—Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2022
As Ayra’s parents keep vigil at home over their tiny fighter, their want other families to know: With this virus still surging, be ready for anything.
—Christina Zdanowicz, CNN, 20 Nov. 2022
On several occasions, the political refugee and activist Wafa Mustafa, 31, traveled from Berlin to Koblenz to keep vigil outside the courthouse.
—New York Times, 25 Jan. 2022
Wake work means looking backward to keep vigil for the death lying in the wake and looking forward to the ship’s destination with hope and despair.
—Lee M. Pierce, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2021
Blocks scheduled for night deliveries will sometimes keep vigil at someone’s house over coffee or drinks to supervise a smooth passage from yard to yard.
—Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Keep vigil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20vigil. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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