observant
Americanadjective
-
quick to notice or perceive; alert.
Watch for traffic and stay observant as you walk, not lost in thought.
- Synonyms:
- perceptive
-
looking at, watching, or regarding attentively; watchful.
Thousands of customers have been warned to be observant against a surge of scam letters claiming to be from the bank.
- Antonyms:
- heedless
-
-
actively following or adhering to a particular religion.
In Holland during the year surveyed, there were more observant Muslims than either observant Catholics or Protestants, but not all Christians combined.
-
careful in following or adhering to a particular law, custom, religious ritual, or the like (often used with of orto ).
He is well-versed in Jewish law, and observant of its commandments.
- Synonyms:
- obedient
-
noun
-
a person who follows or adheres to a particular law, custom, religion, etc.
-
Observant. Also Observantine a member of a Franciscan order that follows the strict rule of St. Francis.
adjective
-
paying close attention to detail; watchful or heedful
-
adhering strictly to rituals, ceremonies, laws, etc
Other Word Forms
- observantly adverb
- unobservant adjective
- unobservantly adverb
Etymology
Origin of observant
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from French, present participle of observer “to notice, observe, watch”; observe
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And two Americans: Kenyon, a wry, observant, skeptical humanist sculptor, perhaps a stand-in for Hawthorne himself; and Hilda, a New England Puritan painter—self-possessed, pious, unswervingly loyal, pure as a flight of doves.
The results are a visual version of a word-association exercise, with Mr. Hickey offering curious, observant connections made all the more charming thanks to their enchanting colors and tactility.
Instead, she carries a quiet authority, observant and grounded.
From BBC
He carried a quiet and observant demeanor on set, carefully keeping an eye out for his vehicle.
From Los Angeles Times
Blunt, who previously described Dame Jilly as "emotionally intelligent, fantastically generous, sharply observant and utter fun", carried a tote bag with "I love Jilly Cooper" on it.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
