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

While CIOs and CTOs have been keeping a watchful eye on rogue AI agents from OpenAI, Anthropic, and other major AI labs, within enterprises, the bet on these autonomous systems is only getting bigger. — John Kell, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026

Corie Walsh, 40, the Illinois mother accused of killing her 2-year-old son Barrett, entered a not guilty plea under the watchful eye of her husband, whom she is accused of attempting to poison. — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Keep a watchful eye out for these unwanted visitors and, if needed, use an organic soap spray to manage their spread. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2026

Nordrum didn’t quite rip out my heart the way Rickman did 31 years ago, but his watchful intensity gives him one of the most moving character arcs. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 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