VIGILANT (VIJ uh lunt) adj constantly alert; watchful; wary
- Miss Grimble is vigilant against grammatical errors; when she spots a misplaced modifier,
she pounces like a tiger. - Dad vigilantly guarded the door of the living room to keep the children from seeing the
Easter Bunny at work.
To be vigilant is to exhibit vigilance (VIJ uh luns).
- Distracted by the loud noise in the hallway, the guard let his vigilance slip for a moment,
and the prisoner quickly escaped.
Vigil is a related word that refers to a period of staying awake or peacefully protesting, as if
vigilantly standing watch.