vigilant

adjective

vig·i·lant ˈvi-jə-lənt

Synonyms of vigilant next

: alertly watchful especially to avoid danger

vigilantly adverb

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

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.

Authorities and consumer advocates are urging the public to remain vigilant and avoid clicking suspicious links in such messages. —

Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025 New Orleans police are asking residents to be vigilant when walking near their headquarters on Poydras Street in the DXC building. —

Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 22 Jan. 2025 Hoping to avoid a repeat, the city of Burleson has embarked upon a public information campaign urging residents to be vigilant for signs of egrets and to notify Burleson Animal Services if any are spotted. —

Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Jan. 2025 Andover athletic director Wayne Puglisi and his fellow committee members remain vigilant in their approach. —

Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for vigilant