vigil

noun

ˈvi-jəl How to pronounce vigil (audio)
Definition of vigilnext
as in watch
an act or period of watching for signs of activity, danger, or opportunity kept vigil at their ailing son's bedside the entire time he was in the hospital

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of vigil Police took away some people who tried to do so near the former vigil site on the anniversary of the massacre. — Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026 The letter cites comments Sharpton made during a July 14 TMZ appearance and an August 19 online vigil for Wells. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 Thousands attended a vigil in central London on Monday to commemorate Arday. — Reuters, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2026 For decades, Hong Kong’s annual candlelight vigil was the only large-scale public commemoration of the Tiananmen crackdown and attracted tens of thousands of people annually. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vigil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vigil
  1. watch
  2. surveillance
Noun
  • Still, there’s a kind of hip, comfort food aspect to the entire enterprise that keeps it an easy, if slightly cluttered and overlong watch.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In less time than that, the salesperson came back with my three watches and just gave them to me.
    — Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of watch
Noun
  • Twinvis is a passive radar based on the latest digital technology that can be used for wide-area military airspace surveillance or civil air traffic control, according to a press release.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Tanks and armored vehicles were affected first, as persistent surveillance and FPV strikes made operating near the front more dangerous.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of surveillance

Browse Nearby Words

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vigil
vigilance
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Cite this Entry

“Vigil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vigil. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on vigil

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vigil

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