observe
[verb]
Synonyms:
- see, detect, discern, discover, note, notice, perceive, spot, witness
- watch, check, keep an eye on (informal), keep track of, look at, monitor, scrutinize, study, survey, view
- remark, comment, mention, note, opine, say, state
- honour, abide by, adhere to, comply, conform to, follow, heed, keep, obey, respect

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Antonyms: break, violate
Related Words: revere, reverence, venerate

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English Thesaurus: notice, detect, spot, become aware/conscious, can tell, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

ob‧serve W2 /əbˈzɜːv $ -ɜːrv/ verb
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: observer, from Latin observare 'to guard, watch', from servare 'to keep']

1. [transitive not in progressive] formal to see and notice something ⇒ observation:
Scientists have observed a drop in ozone levels over the Antarctic.
observe that
It was observed that 40 percent of patients had high blood pressure.
observe somebody doing something
Officers observed him driving at 90 miles per hour.
Predators have been observed to avoid attacking brightly coloured species.

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In everyday English, people say that someone sees, notices, or spots something or someone:
She was spotted going into a restaurant with a well-known footballer.

2. [intransitive and transitive] to watch something or someone carefully:
The police have been observing his movements.
One student performs the experiment, while his partner observes.
observe what/how/where
Observe how the people in the group interact.

3. [transitive] formal to say or write what you have noticed about a situation:
‘Sid looks ill,’ Doherty observed.
observe that
Keynes observed that humans fall into two classes.

4. [transitive] to do what you are supposed to do according to a law or agreement Synonym : obey, adhere to:
So far the ceasefire has been observed by both sides.

5. [transitive] to do things and obey laws that are part of a religion or custom Synonym : follow

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

observe
verb
I. notice/watch
ADV. carefully, closely | precisely | directly It is not possible to observe this phenomenon directly, but its effects can be seen in the rise in global temperatures.
actually It is the parents who actually observe these behavioural problems in their children.
just, simply You can learn a lot by simply observing.
generally, normally | quietly She stood there, quietly observing the domestic scene.
secretly | experimentally This phenomenon has been observed experimentally.
VERB + OBSERVE be able to | be possible | be difficult to | be interesting to It is interesting to observe the reaction of the children to these changes.
PREP. from unaware that she was being observed from the window
PHRASES be commonly/frequently/widely observed This behaviour is commonly observed among several species of finch.
be easily/readily observed, an opportunity to observe sb/sth

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

observe
II. make a remark
ADV. correctly, justly, rightly, shrewdly She correctly observed that there was very little difference between the two parties on domestic policies.
drily, sardonically, wryly | tartly | coldly, coolly ‘You took your time, ’ he observed coolly.
conversationally | mildly, quietly | sadly
PREP. to ‘It's easy for him to say that, ’ she observed tartly to Michael, ‘but can he prove it?’

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

observe
III. obey rules
ADV. correctly, faithfully, scrupulously, strictly This procedure must be correctly observed.
VERB + OBSERVE fail to
PHRASES failure to observe sth Failure to observe club rules may result in expulsion.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

notice to realize that something is there or that something is happening, because you can see, hear, or feel it:
I noticed that he was rather quiet during dinner.
Children don’t seem to notice the cold.
‘Julie’s home.’ ‘Yes, I noticed her bicycle outside.’
detect to notice something that is difficult to see, hear etc because it is very small, faint, or unclear. Detect is used about people and machines, and is more formal than notice:
X-ray telescopes can now detect virtually every type of astronomical object.
He thought he detected a flicker of interest in her eyes.
spot to notice something, especially something that is difficult to see or that you see for a short time only. Spot is more informal than notice:
Can you spot the difference between these two pictures?
I’m glad you spotted the mistake before it was too late.
become aware/conscious to gradually begin to notice that something is happening or is true:
I became aware that Mum was getting a lot older.
Tessa became conscious of a feeling of guilt.
can tell to be able to notice something because you can see, smell, hear it etc:
I could tell that she had been drinking.
Can you tell I've lost weight?
something/somebody catches your eye used to say that you suddenly notice something or someone because they are interesting, attractive, or good at something:
I saw this shirt in the shop window and it just caught my eye.
Clarke caught the eye of boss Bryan Robson when he scored for Newry last week.
observe formal to notice something as a result of watching or studying it closely:
Psychologists observed that the mice became more aggressive in smaller cages.
perceive formal to notice something, especially that something is happening, or is true, or needs to be done:
The company quickly perceived the need for change.
Doctors perceive that they do not have adequate time to spend with their patients.
witness to see something happen because you are there at the time:
People have witnessed some great economic changes during the last ten years.
miss to not notice something because it is difficult to see:
It’s easy to miss the entrance – the sign is hidden behind a tree.
take notice (=pay attention to something)
I began to take notice when the subject of money came up.
take no notice/not take any notice (=ignore something or someone)
The other passengers took no notice of what was happening.
come to sb’s notice (=be noticed by someone)
This problem first came to our notice last summer.
escape sb’s notice (=not be noticed by someone)
It had not escaped his notice that Phil seemed interested in Jean.
bring something to sb’s notice (=tell someone about something)
It has been brought to my notice that employees are smoking in the restrooms.
attract notice (=be noticed by other people)
She didn’t want to attract notice, so she dressed very plainly.
give notice
To withdraw money from this type of savings account, you must give the bank 30 days’ notice.
serve notice formal (=warn someone about something)
They have served notice that they intend to take legal action against the company.
have/receive notice
If I’d had more notice, I could have done a better job.
need notice (also require notice formal)
The company requires a month’s notice of any holiday time you would like to take.
advance notice (also prior notice formal) (=given before an event)
We had no advance notice of the attack.
reasonable notice (=an amount that is considered to be fair to everyone)
Did you receive reasonable notice of the court case?
ten days’/three months’/five minutes’ etc notice
His contract said he must give three months’ notice if he decides to leave the job.
no notice
We received no notice of the changes.
at short notice (=without much time to prepare)
Thank you for coming to help at such short notice.
at a moment’s notice (=very quickly)
He’d be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
without notice
Trains may be cancelled without notice.
until further notice (=from now until you are told something else)
On the door was a sign: ‘Library closed until further notice’.
notice to quit British English (=a warning that you must leave the house or flat where you live by a particular date)
The new owner gave all the tenants notice to quit.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

see to notice something with your eyes, usually without planning to. Also used when saying that you watched a particular programme, film, game etc:
Have you seen my keys anywhere?
Did you see the basketball game last night?
look at somebody/something to keep your eyes pointed toward someone or something, especially someone or something that is not moving:
I looked at the map.
She was looking at him in a strange way.
notice to see something interesting or unusual:
I noticed a police car outside their house.
spot to suddenly see something, especially something you are looking for:
Nick spotted the advertisement in the paper.
catch sight of/catch a glimpse of (also glimpse formal) to suddenly see someone or something for a short time, usually not clearly:
I caught sight of him in the hotel lobby, and followed him out the door.
He glimpsed her face as she went into the courtroom.
make out somebody/something to see something, but only with difficulty:
Ahead, I could just make out the figure of a woman.
witness to see something happen, especially a crime or an accident:
The police are asking anyone who witnessed the attack to come forward.
observe formal to see and pay attention to something:
Officers observed him driving at 100 mph.
sight especially written to suddenly see something or someone from a long distance, especially when you have been looking for a long time:
The missing boys were sighted by a rescue helicopter.
The crew finally sighted land.
blind unable to see anything:
She has been blind from birth.
partially-sighted not able to see things very well, although not completely blind:
Good lighting can be very important for partially sighted people.
visually handicapped/impaired completely blind or not able to see very much – used especially in official reports, forms etc:
a special school for visually impaired children

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

sight something that you see:
A herd of elephants is a magnificent sight.
Even Charles cheered up at the sight of the food.
view the area you can see from a window or place, especially when it is beautiful:
The view from the top of the mountain is amazing.
The hotel has great views of Lake Windermere.
We had a good view of the firework display.
panorama an impressive view of a very large area that stretches a long way across in front of you:
a panorama of snow-covered hills and mountains
vista written a view of a large area of beautiful scenery – used in written descriptions:
The road around the island offers some spectacular vistas.
scene what you see in a place, especially where people are moving around and doing things:
Reporters described the horrific scenes which followed the bombing.
His pictures are mainly of local scenes.
spectacle something that you see that is very unusual, surprising, or strange:
It must have been an unusual spectacle.
I leaned over the balcony to get a look at the spectacle below.
visuals [plural] pictures or parts of a film, video etc that people can see, as opposed to the parts you can hear:
Good visuals will help keep your audience’s attention.
see to notice something with your eyes, usually without planning to. Also used when saying that you watched a particular programme, film, game etc:
Have you seen my keys anywhere?
Did you see the basketball game last night?
look at somebody/something to keep your eyes pointed toward someone or something, especially someone or something that is not moving:
I looked at the map.
She was looking at him in a strange way.
notice to see something interesting or unusual:
I noticed a police car outside their house.
spot to suddenly see something, especially something you are looking for:
Nick spotted the advertisement in the paper.
catch sight of/catch a glimpse of (also glimpse formal) to suddenly see someone or something for a short time, usually not clearly:
I caught sight of him in the hotel lobby, and followed him out the door.
He glimpsed her face as she went into the courtroom.
make out somebody/something to see something, but only with difficulty:
Ahead, I could just make out the figure of a woman.
witness to see something happen, especially a crime or an accident:
The police are asking anyone who witnessed the attack to come forward.
observe formal to see and pay attention to something:
Officers observed him driving at 100 mph.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

watch to look at someone or something for a period of time and pay attention to what is happening:
They were all watching the game.
I watched him get out of his car.
We are watching carefully to see how the situation develops.
keep an eye on somebody/something to watch someone or something carefully so that you are prepared if anything bad happens:
The doctors are keeping a careful eye on her.
Can you keep an eye on my bag for me?
Keep an eye on house prices before you decide to sell.
observe to watch someone or something carefully in order to learn more about them:
A 24-hour camera is being used to observe the birds’ behaviour.
During your teacher training you will be encouraged to observe lessons.
monitor to watch a situation carefully to see how it changes over a period of time:
Class teachers are responsible for monitoring the progress of each student.
Economists are monitoring the situation carefully.
spy on somebody to watch someone secretly in order to find out what they are doing:
He hired a private detective to spy on her.
In the 1960s, government agencies were spying on everybody.
spectator someone who watches an event, especially a sports event:
There were 4,500 spectators at the game.
a crowd of spectators
viewer someone who watches television:
Millions of television viewers listened to the President’s speech.
programmes for younger viewers
audience the people who watch a play or performance, or the people who watch a particular television programme:
The audience roared with laughter and clapped.
It attracted a television audience of seven million.
onlooker someone who watches something happening without being involved in it, especially in the street:
A man was standing on the roof, watched by a crowd of onlookers below.
observer someone who watches and pays attention to particular situations and events, because they are interested in them, or it is their job:
She was a shrewd observer of human nature.
a political observer who writes for The Independent newspaper
The United Nations has sent military observers to the Sudan.
look at/glance at your watch
I looked at my watch. It was 4.30.
check/consult your watch
He checked his watch and saw that it was only 2.15.
a watch says ...
My watch says twenty past one.
put your watch forward (=make it show a later time)
The passengers were reminded to put their watches forward three hours.
put your watch back (=make it show an earlier time)
On Saturday night, don’t forget to put your watch back an hour.
set your watch (=make it show the correct time)
I set my watch by the clock on the mantelpiece.
wear a watch
He wore a gold watch.
a watch stops
Her watch had stopped after getting wet in the sea.
sb’s watch is fast/runs fast (=it shows a later time)
No, it’s only 12.15 – your watch must be fast.
sb’s watch is slow/runs slow (=it shows an earlier time)
'He’s late.' 'Maybe his watch is running slow.'

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲