observe

observe — verb

1. to give close, patient attention to a person, animal, event, or process — usuall

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to give close, patient attention to a person, animal, event, or process — usually so you can understand how it works, learn from it, or gather facts about its behaviour.

Example

Dr. Tanaka observed the wild monkeys for six months in the forest.

observe + noun (subject of study)

The students sat at the back and observed how the new teacher handled the noisy class.

observe + how-clause

Common collocations
  • observe closely
  • observe patiently
  • observe from a distance
  • observe behaviour
  • observe an experiment
Synonyms
  • watch

    more general; doesn't always imply careful study

  • monitor

    stresses ongoing checking, often with instruments or data

  • study

    stronger emphasis on analysis and understanding

Antonyms
  • ignore

    to pay no attention rather than careful attention

  • overlook

    to fail to notice something you should have seen

Grammar Patterns

observe + noun

observe + how/what/why-clause

observe + noun + verb-ing

Usage Note

Subject is usually a person who is paying deliberate attention; objects are typically things that change, move, or behave in interesting ways. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense implies sustained, purposeful watching, while sense 2 is a single moment of noticing.

Common Mistakes

I observed the movie last night.
I watched the movie last night.
use 'observe' for studying behaviour or events, not for casual viewing.
She observed at the children playing.
She observed the children playing.
'observe' is transitive; do not insert 'at'.

2. to come to see or realise that something is the case, often as a brief moment of

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to come to see or realise that something is the case, often as a brief moment of awareness rather than a long study; common in writing and reports.

Example

The detective observed that the back window had been forced open.

observe + that-clause (formal report)

Aunt Rosa observed a small crack running along the kitchen ceiling.

observe + noun (single discovery)

Common collocations
  • observe a difference
  • observe a pattern
  • observe a change
  • observe with interest
Synonyms
  • notice

    everyday register; 'observe' is more formal

  • perceive

    stresses the act of becoming aware, often through senses

  • remark

    near-synonym only when the noticing is also stated aloud

Antonyms
  • miss

    fail to notice

  • overlook

    fail to register something present

Grammar Patterns

observe + that-clause

observe + noun + bare infinitive

observe + question word

Usage Note

Frequently used in formal writing, news, and academic prose where 'notice' would feel too casual. Only sense that takes a bare-infinitive complement (we observed him leave, not 'we observed him to leave' in modern usage).

Common Mistakes

I observed him to leave the building.
I observed him leave the building.
after 'observe + object', use the bare infinitive, not 'to'.

3. to put something into words as a brief comment, especially a comment that points

3.verbtransitive / intransitiveC1
Definition

to put something into words as a brief comment, especially a comment that points out a fact you have just thought of or noticed.

Example

"The sky looks unusually red tonight," observed Grandma Chen as she stepped onto the porch.

observe + direct speech (reporting frame)

The professor observed that very few students had completed the reading.

observe + that-clause (formal remark)

Common collocations
  • dryly observe
  • wryly observe
  • as Smith observed
  • observe with a smile
Synonyms
  • remark

    very close in meaning; slightly less formal

  • comment

    can be a longer statement; 'observe' is usually short and pointed

  • note

    as a reporting verb; often used in writing

Grammar Patterns

observe + that-clause

observe + ', "...,"'

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 2 ('notice'): sense 3 always involves saying or writing the comment, not just noticing it silently. Often used in narrative writing as a reporting verb instead of 'said'.

Common Mistakes

She observed silently that the door was open.
She noticed silently that the door was open.
if nothing is spoken, use 'notice', not 'observe' (in this remark sense).

4. to act in line with a rule, law, agreement, or tradition — for example, keeping

4.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to act in line with a rule, law, agreement, or tradition — for example, keeping a religious festival, respecting a one-minute silence, or sticking to the speed limit.

Example

All drivers must observe the speed limit inside the school zone.

observe + law/rule (modal must)

Many families in Taiwan observe traditional customs during the Lunar New Year.

observe + custom/tradition

Common collocations
  • observe the law
  • observe a tradition
  • observe a holiday
  • observe a ceasefire
  • observe a minute of silence
Synonyms
  • follow

    more general; less formal

  • comply with

    stresses obedience to rules or requests

  • abide by

    stronger commitment, often in legal contexts

  • keep

    for traditions and holidays: keep the Sabbath

Antonyms
  • break

    as in 'break the law/rules'

  • violate

    more formal opposite; for laws and agreements

  • ignore

    treat the rule as if it doesn't apply

Grammar Patterns

observe + the law/rule/custom

observe + a holiday/anniversary

Usage Note

Object must be a rule, law, agreement, custom, or holiday — not a person and not a piece of advice. More formal than 'follow' or 'keep to'; common in legal, religious, and ceremonial contexts.

Common Mistakes

You should observe your father's advice.
You should follow your father's advice.
'observe' takes rules and customs, not personal advice.
They observed at the new policy.
They observed the new policy.
'observe' is directly transitive in this sense.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five verbs deal with using your eyes or attention, but they differ in purpose and depth. 'Watch' is the everyday choice — you watch a film, a game, the kids — and it doesn't have to be careful. 'Observe' adds patience and a goal: a biologist observes wild animals to learn how they live. 'Monitor' usually means checking again and again, often with instruments or data, as a doctor monitors a patient's heart rate. 'Study' is the deepest of the five — long, analytical, often involving notes or measurements. 'Notice' is the briefest: just a flash of awareness, no plan behind it. Compare: 'I noticed a bird at the window' (one quick moment) vs. 'I observed the bird for an hour and wrote down what it ate' (deliberate study). Choose 'observe' when attention is careful and purposeful but not yet a full investigation.

observe ↗watch ↗monitor ↗study ↗notice ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • it is interesting to observe that...
  • as Smith observed
  • observe with the naked eye
  • observe due process

Prepositions

  • from a distance
  • from afar
  • in silence
  • with interest
  • for + duration

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Observe came into English in the late 14th century from Old French 'observer', which itself came from Latin 'observare'. The Latin verb is built from 'ob-' meaning 'over, towards' and 'servare' meaning 'to keep, watch over, guard'. So at root, to observe is to keep watch over something. The earliest English meanings cluster around the idea of keeping a rule or tradition (sense 4 here), and the meanings about watching attentively and noticing followed. The 'remark' meaning (sense 3) developed later, from the idea that what you keep watch on, you sometimes also point out aloud.