vigilant

adjective

vig·i·lant | \ ˈvi-jə-lənt

Definition of vigilant

: alertly watchful especially to avoid danger

Other Words from vigilant Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about vigilant

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Synonyms & Antonyms for vigilant

Synonyms

alert, Argus-eyed, attentive, awake, observant, open-eyed, tenty (also tentie) [Scottish], watchful, wide-awake

Antonyms

asleep

Choose the Right Synonym for vigilant

watchful, vigilant, wide-awake, alert mean being on the lookout especially for danger or opportunity. watchful is the least explicit term. the watchful eye of the department supervisor vigilant suggests intense, unremitting, wary watchfulness. eternally vigilant in the safeguarding of democracy wide-awake applies to watchfulness for opportunities and developments more often than dangers. wide-awake companies latched onto the new technology alert stresses readiness or promptness in meeting danger or in seizing opportunity. alert traders anticipated the stock market's slide

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 on the Web

Gus is hyper-vigilant about plugging the iPad in at night to ensure it will be fully charged come morning. — Steve Brykman, Ars Technica, "Forget Fortnite—my son is still obsessed with Minecraft," 16 Dec. 2018 Molly Ringwald: Everyone needs to be vigilant about making sure everyone is able to tell their story. — Jessica Radloff, Glamour, "The Parents of Riverdale Were All Really Famous Teens—And Yes, They Have Stories," 7 Nov. 2018 The Metropolitan Police of London and other officials have warned Britons to be vigilant, and counterterrorism officials are investigating. — Yonette Joseph, New York Times, "‘Punish a Muslim Day’ Letters Rattle U.K. Communities," 11 Mar. 2018 Staying vigilant is crucial, especially for me and my fellow BRCA mutation carriers. — Lambeth Hochwald, Glamour, "I Got a Mastectomy…Twice," 27 Sep. 2018 Helping parents stay vigilant with whatever may be going on with their children or the children’s peers has become more urgent in the wake of school violence, Turney said. — Yvette Orozco, Houston Chronicle, "Friendswood library to host coping workshop for parents and children in wake of Santa Fe," 5 July 2018 Even so, police still warned the public to stay vigilant for possible package bombs still out there. — Zach Wade, CNN, "Quickly catch up on the day's news," 21 Mar. 2018 But bad actors will continue to find new ways to exploit the platforms, and so the platforms will have to remain vigilant about the ways their work is being misused. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "How Democrats’ victory in the midterms will be good for Facebook," 8 Nov. 2018 Lesson 5: anecdotes that instill fear of outsiders are much, much stickier than facts and figures Our brains are built to be vigilant. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "8 lessons from psychology that explain Trump’s caravan fearmongering," 2 Nov. 2018

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.

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Last Updated

12 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for vigilant

The first known use of vigilant was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for vigilant

vigilant

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of vigilant

: carefully noticing problems or signs of danger

See the full definition for vigilant in the English Language Learners Dictionary

vigilant

adjective

vig·i·lant | \ ˈvi-jə-lənt

Kids Definition of vigilant

: 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