observe meaning
observe :
to watch, to notice
Verb
▪ She observed the birds in the park.
▪ She watched the birds in the park.
▪ We observed the changes in the weather.
▪ We noticed the changes in the weather.
paraphrasing
▪ watch – to look at
▪ notice – to see
▪ perceive – to become aware of
▪ monitor – to watch closely
Pronunciation
observe [əbˈzɜrv]
The stress is on 'serve' and sounds like 'uhb-zurv'.
Common phrases and grammar about observe
observe - Common meaning
Verb
to watch, to notice
Part of Speech Changes for "observe"
▪ observation (noun) – the act of watching or noticing
▪ observant (adjective) – good at noticing things
Common Expressions with "observe"
▪ observe a rule – to follow a rule
▪ observe a holiday – to celebrate a holiday
▪ observe changes – to notice changes
▪ observe closely – to watch carefully
Important examples of observe in TOEIC
Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test
In TOEIC vocabulary questions, observe often means to watch or follow rules.
Example of a confusing word: preserve (to protect)
Grammar examples from the TOEIC test
Observe is often used as a transitive verb, meaning it needs an object, like a rule or a process, in TOEIC grammar questions.
observe
Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC
observe a minute of silence
'to have a quiet moment to remember something', used in ceremonies.
observe the Sabbath
means 'to keep the Sabbath day holy', used in religious contexts.
Differences between similar words and observe
observe
,
monitor
differences
Observe is used to watch or notice something, while monitor often means to watch something over time.
Words with the same origin as observe
The origin of observe
Observe comes from the Latin 'observare', which means 'to watch over' or 'to guard'.
Word structure
It has the prefix ob (toward), root serv (watch), and means 'to watch toward'.
Words with the same origin
The root of observe is serv (watch). Words with the same root include conserve (to save), preserve (to keep safe), and serve (to help).
