vigilant

Definitions

vigil (Latin vigilāre, 'to stay awake, keep watch,' from vigēre 'be lively') + -ant (adj.) = 'staying awake and watching.' A guard who keeps his eyes open through the night is vigilant. Stay awake → keep watch → alert to danger. (This is the vigil branch, only a distant PIE cousin of vīvere 'to live' — it is about alertness, not being alive.)

Common Collocations

• 1.stay vigilant保持警惕
• 2.remain vigilant依然警觉
• 3.vigilant against警惕（某事）
• 4.ever vigilant时刻警觉
• 5.vigilant for signs of警惕…的迹象

Example Sentences

• 1.

  Drivers must stay vigilant in heavy fog.

• 2.

  Be vigilant against fraud when shopping online.

• 3.

  Health workers remained vigilant for any new outbreak.

Easily Confused

vigilant vs alert — alert is a momentary, often physical readiness to react (alert to a sudden noise); vigilant is sustained, deliberate watchfulness against an ongoing threat (vigilant against fraud). You snap to being alert; you stay vigilant.

Synonym Comparison