watcher

noun

watch·​er ˈwä-chər 

ˈwȯ-

: one that watches: such as

a

: one that sits up or continues awake at night

b

: watchman

c(1)

: one that keeps watch beside a dead person

(2)

: one that attends a sick person at night

d

: a person who closely follows or observes someone or something

a Supreme Court watcher

—often used in combination

celebrity-watchers

e

: a representative of a party or candidate who is stationed at the polls on an election day to watch the conduct of officials and voters

Synonyms of watcher

• guardian
• custodian
• guard
• keeper
• warden
• sentinel
• watch
• observer

Examples of watcher in a Sentence

the inexperienced babysitter turned out to be a well-meaning but hopelessly incompetent watcher of young children

a safari that affords wildlife watchers plenty of opportunities to see Africa's grandest creatures in their natural habitat

Recent Examples on the Web

The broader concern is that years of ultra-low interest rates and thin yield spreads encouraged lenders to make riskier moves, financing smaller, more leveraged companies at yields that appeared attractive compared with public markets, market watchers said. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026

Some market watchers have questioned the value of MIP London, which launched last year after the annual April confab MIPTV was ended, during a week where buyers are rushing from screening to screening. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026

Royal watchers will recall that Andrew’s fall from grace has been ongoing for several years. —Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026

But court watcher and lawyer David Lat, who writes about the law, wondered recently whether an October publication date is a sign that Alito is staying put. —Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing watcher

• bird-watcher
• clock-watcher