keep vigil
phrase
: 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
But such bright spots are rare at the quake’s epicenter, where families keep vigil at search sites.
—
Juan Pablo Arraez,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Juan Pablo Arraez,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Keep vigil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20vigil. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
