Definition of vigilant
: alertly watchful especially to avoid danger
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Examples of vigilant in a Sentence
- Over the years, as tension between pitchers and hit batsmen heightened to the point that hitters began rushing the mound, umpires have had to become far more vigilant about keeping the game from degenerating into a dogfight. —Buzz Bissinger, Sports Illustrated, 21 Mar. 2005
- At the Château de Wideville's magnificent seventeenth-century gates, guests have their names ticked off by vigilant staff and then snake through a lugubrious park à l'anglaise. —Hamish Bowles, Vogue, September 2002
- And as a foreign tourist in North Korea, under the care of vigilant minders who wanted me to see only the best, I had enjoyed the finest fare available. —Christopher Hitchens, Vanity Fair, January 2001
- A vigilant hand had, as usual, kept the fire alive and the lamp trimmed; and the room, with its rows and rows of books, its bronze and steel statuettes of "The Fencers" on the mantelpiece and its many photographs of famous pictures, looked singularly home-like and welcoming. —Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence, 1920
When traveling through the city, tourists should be extra vigilant.
They were vigilant about protecting their children.
We remain vigilant against theft.
Recent Examples of vigilant from the Web
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Mast is a cancer survivor and has to be extra-vigilant about her immune system.
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The crews are vigilant; the year before, one pronghorn ran into a metal post and broke its back.
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General Philip Sibanda, natty in a green beret and fatigues—went on: your Defense and Security Services would like to remind all Zimbabweans to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious objects and individuals to law enforcement agents.
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After the person was contacted and the threat minimized, people were asked to remain vigilant.
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The agency’s logo is still a lidless eye, sleepless, ever-vigilant.
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Her research has found people have difficulty remaining vigilant when monitoring automation for long periods.
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Authorities are urging people in Austin to remain vigilant.
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While residents in the city are happy Conditt will no longer be able to harm anyone else, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said Austinites should still be vigilant; police aren’t sure if the suspect was able to plant more bombs before being killed.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vigilant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of vigilant
Middle English (Scots), from Latin vigilant-, vigilans, from present participle of vigilare to keep watch, stay awake, from vigil awake
vigilant Synonyms
Synonyms
alert, Argus-eyed, attentive, awake, observant, open-eyed, watchful, wide-awake;
Antonyms
Near Antonyms
absent, absentminded, absorbed, abstracted, daydreaming, dazed, distracted, dreaming, dreamy, engrossed, faraway, insensible, oblivious, preoccupied;
sleeping, unaware, unconscious, unknowing, unwitting;
careless, heedless, inattentive, unheeding, unmindful, unthinking, unwary;
Related Words
alive, aware, conscious, sensitive;
cognizant, heedful, keen, mindful, observing, regardful, sharp, sharp-eyed;
hyperalert, hypervigilant, sleepless, wakeful;
Phrases
on guard, on one's toes, on the alert, on the ball, on tiptoe;
Synonym Discussion of vigilant
watchful, vigilant, wide-awake, alert mean being on the lookout especially for danger or opportunity. watchful is the least explicit term.
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- the watchful eye of the department supervisor
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- eternally vigilant in the safeguarding of democracy
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- wide-awake companies latched onto the new technology
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- alert traders anticipated the stock market's slide
VIGILANT Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of vigilant for English Language Learners
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: carefully noticing problems or signs of danger
VIGILANT Defined for Kids
Definition of vigilant for Students
: alert especially to avoid danger
- … he was constantly vigilant, looking for the next nearest hiding place should the sound of engines come.
- —Lois Lowry, The Giver
Learn More about vigilant
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for vigilant Spanish Central: Translation of vigilant Nglish: Translation of vigilant for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of vigilant for Arabic speakers
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