qui vive

noun

kē-ˈvēv How to pronounce qui vive (audio)
Definition of qui vivenext
as in watch
the state of being constantly attentive and responsive to signs of opportunity, activity, or danger an army on the qui vive for enemy attack

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for qui vive
  1. watch
  2. watchfulness
  3. alert
Noun
  • The watch is for Alamance, Chatham, Davidson, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Franklin, Granville, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, Orange, Person, Randolph, Stanly, Vance, Wake, Warren, Wayne and Wilson counties.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Participants — a group of 58 people (31 women, 27 men) ranging in age from 18 to 50 — wore all four watches and the COSMED metabolic analyzer simultaneously while exercising on a stationary bike at an FIU lab.
    — Michelle Marchante September 4, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of watch
Noun
  • The multiple heads can be said to represent divine watchfulness of the world and devotees.
    — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • For now, the consensus among Wall Street’s economists is less alarm than watchfulness.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of watchfulness
Noun
  • The kindergarten his daughter attends must move the children to a shelter whenever an air-raid alert sounds.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Yosemite records few rabid bats, with the last case in 2025, but other national parks have issued rabies alerts within days or weeks, raising fresh questions about Yosemite’s public-health communication.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of alert
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

quivers
qui vive
quixote
See all Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Qui vive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/qui%20vive. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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