watchfulness

noun

Definition of watchfulnessnext
as in vigilance
the state of being constantly attentive and responsive to signs of opportunity, activity, or danger it was only her motherly watchfulness that saved the boy from an accident

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of watchfulness But the book’s ruminative watchfulness is unsuccessfully conjugated in this overly sedate play with music, which has the feel of a song cycle, though sung by the fine cast with gorgeous, lonely sorrow. — Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 19 June 2026 Hong Kong icon Tony Leung has channeled brooding urban energy for the masterpieces of Wong Kar-Wai, balancing the debonair ennui of Marcello Mastroianni with the quiet watchfulness of Montgomery Clift. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 May 2026 In nine short, potent chapters, Beckerman lays out the essential traits of an effective dissident — loyalty, recklessness and watchfulness, among them — to illustrate how communities of resistance are built from the ground up. — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026 A lot of this involves watchfulness—noticing what the preferring mind (that is, the editing mind) as put in place, and accepting it, and building upon it. — Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026 With calm resolve, the United States and the European Union have each made decisions in recent days showing a firm watchfulness against big-power aggression. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2025 This patience is watchfulness, not idleness. — Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watchfulness
  1. vigilance
  2. alertness
  3. watch
  4. alert
  5. attentiveness
Noun
  • Therefore, borrowers should exercise constant vigilance and carefully review their statements.
    — Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • This can lead to safety and operational concerns that require vigilance to ensure the protection of all meeting participants.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026
Definition of vigilance
Noun
  • The replacement of old, negative patterns of thinking with pure thoughts from God, Love, requires alertness.
    — Linda Berckmann, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The lack of sleep and lack of rest wears down firefighters physically and mentally; the mental alertness, the mental sharpness is not always there, and also the burnout.
    — Rashad Williams, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of alertness
Noun
  • That is why millions of people now sleep with a ring, a watch or a smart bassinet nearby, quietly collecting sleep data all night long.
    — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026
  • For those who equate sport watches with rubber straps, the Hermès Cut is a nice entry point.
    — Daisy Shaw-Ellis, Vogue, 31 July 2026
Definition of watch
Noun
  • In a red-alert scenario, the Eagles could also move DeJean to outside cornerback and move Michael Carter II to nickel.
    — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • There are no alerts or advisories for boaters over the Atlantic waters and the Keys.
    — Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of alert
Noun
  • In Japan, this kind of attentiveness is understood through omotenashi.
    — Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Even in novels centered on Millennial inaction or stasis, such as Pond, by Claire-Louise Bennett, a kind of attentiveness is necessary to advance beyond rhetorical water-treading.
    — Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
Definition of attentiveness

Browse Nearby Words

watchful
watchfulness
watching
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Cite this Entry

“Watchfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watchfulness. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on watchfulness

Nglish: Translation of watchfulness for Spanish Speakers

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