Watchful
/ˈwɒtʃ.fəl/noun
Alert, observant, and carefully on guard.
Did you know?Watchful is built on Old English words tied to keeping vigil, and that same watch-root also gave English the word watch, originally a night guard rather than a timepiece.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
wæccan
“to stay awake, keep watch”
Old English
OE
wæccende
“watching, awake, on guard”
Middle English
ME
watchful
“vigilant, keeping watch”
Modern English
English
watchful
“alert and observant”