watchful

adjective

watch·​ful ˈwäch-fəl 

ˈwȯch-

1

archaic

a

: not able or accustomed to sleep or rest : wakeful

b

: causing sleeplessness

c

: spent in wakefulness : sleepless

2

: carefully observant or attentive : being on the watch

watchfully

ˈwäch-fə-lē 

ˈwȯch-

adverb

watchfulness noun

Synonyms of watchful

• alert
• vigilant
• awake
• careful

Choose the Right Synonym for watchful

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 watchful in a Sentence

We need to be more watchful of our children.

The hotel is being built under the watchful eye of its architect.

Recent Examples on the Web

Residents of a mobile home park in the Olinda Village area were keeping a watchful eye on the fire but didn’t seem terribly concerned, and children rode their bikes in the street on Saturday afternoon. —Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026

Today, Tiny is typically displayed on ground level elsewhere in the park during Fright Fest, presumably under the watchful eyes of security cameras. —Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026

Jonsson plays Taylor, a watchful, aged-beyond-his-years introvert who has spent 13 years behind bars on a manslaughter charge — missing almost the entire life of his teenage son Adam (Cole Martin), from whom the boy’s mother is determined to keep him estranged. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026

And then head out to spy for local birds and native plants at the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area in the San Fernando Valley where San Fernando Valley Audubon Society keeps a watchful eye to maintain its vibrancy. —Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing watchful

• keep a watchful eye on (someone or something)
• under the watchful/vigilant eye of

Kids Definition

watchful

adjective

watch·​ful ˈwäch-fəl 

ˈwȯch-

: continually on the lookout especially for danger

watchfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

watchfulness noun