Dictionary
Thesaurus
Medical
Scrabble®
Spanish Central
Browse DictionaryBrowse Thesaurus
Get our free apps!iPhone•iPad•Android
Games
Word of the Day
Video
Blog: Words at Play
My Faves
Dictionary

1observant

adjective ob·ser·vant \-vənt\

: good at watching and listening : good at noticing what is going on around you

: careful to follow religious teachings or customs

Full Definition of OBSERVANT

1
a :  paying strict attention :  watchful <an observant spectator>
b :  keen, perceptive
2
:  careful in observing (as rites, laws, or customs) :  mindful <pious and religiously observant families — Sidney Hook> <always observant of the amenities>
— ob·ser·vant·ly adverb
See observant defined for English-language learners
See observant defined for kids
ADVERTISEMENT

First Known Use of OBSERVANT

1602

Related to OBSERVANT

Synonyms
Argus-eyed, attentive, awake, alert, open-eyed, tenty (also tentie) [Scottish], vigilant, watchful, wide-awake
Antonyms
asleep

2observant

noun

Definition of OBSERVANT

obsolete
:  an assiduous or obsequious servant or attendant

First Known Use of OBSERVANT

1605

Rhymes with OBSERVANT

bond servant, maidservant, manservant
OBSERVANTLY Defined for Kids

observant

adjective ob·ser·vant \əb-ˈzər-vənt\

Definition of OBSERVANT for Kids

:  quick to take notice :  watchful, alert
— ob·ser·vant·ly adverb

Learn More About OBSERVANT

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: observation (noun)Previous Word in the Dictionary: observandumAll Words Near: observant
ADVERTISEMENT
10 Charming Words for Nasty People
Put-downs with flair
Learn More
When "Literally" isn't, well, literal
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.
Watch Now
Know what this is?
Test your vocab with our fun, fast game
Go Play
Fear of cats?
Ailurophobia, and 9 other unusual fears
Learn More
Join Us
Merriam-Webster
on Facebook
Merriam-Webster
on Twitter
Bookstore: Digital and Print
Merriam-Webster references for Mobile, Kindle, print, and more.
See All
Other Merriam-Webster Dictionaries