watcher

noun

watch·​er ˈwä-chər 

ˈwȯ-

: one that watches: such as

a

: one that sits up or continues awake at night

b

: watchman

c(1)

: one that keeps watch beside a dead person

(2)

: one that attends a sick person at night

d

: a person who closely follows or observes someone or something

a Supreme Court watcher

—often used in combination

celebrity-watchers

e

: a representative of a party or candidate who is stationed at the polls on an election day to watch the conduct of officials and voters

Synonyms of watcher

• guardian
• custodian
• guard
• keeper
• warden
• sentinel
• watch
• observer

Examples of watcher in a Sentence

the inexperienced babysitter turned out to be a well-meaning but hopelessly incompetent watcher of young children

a safari that affords wildlife watchers plenty of opportunities to see Africa's grandest creatures in their natural habitat

Recent Examples on the Web

All were there to see the curtain unveiled behind a monster movie that blended horror and comedy, helped bring about the PG-13 rating, launched Chris Columbus‘ writing career, and introduced a set of rules a generation of movie-watchers lived by. —Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 1 May 2026

Dylan watchers will see a fish far out of water. —Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026

Swim with lifeguards or water watchers present. —Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 May 2026

Earthquake watchers across El Dorado County from South Lake Tahoe to Placerville to Camino and other points along the Highway 50 corridor reported the shakers. —Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing watcher

• bird-watcher
• clock-watcher
• fire watcher