observe

verb

OPAL WOPAL S

/əbˈzɜːv/

/əbˈzɜːrv/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they observe	/əbˈzɜːv/ /əbˈzɜːrv/
he / she / it observes	/əbˈzɜːvz/ /əbˈzɜːrvz/
past simple observed	/əbˈzɜːvd/ /əbˈzɜːrvd/
past participle observed	/əbˈzɜːvd/ /əbˈzɜːrvd/
-ing form observing	/əbˈzɜːvɪŋ/ /əbˈzɜːrvɪŋ/

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[transitive] (formal) to see or notice somebody/something
- observe somebody/something Have you observed any changes lately?
- All the characters in the novel are closely observed (= seem like people in real life).
- I want you to observe all the details.
- The patterns observed in our study may represent a general rule.
- observe somebody/something do something The police observed a man enter the bank.
- observe somebody/something doing something They observed him entering the bank.
- observe that… She observed that all the chairs were already occupied.
- be observed to do something He was observed to follow her closely.
This pattern is only used in the passive.
Synonyms comment
comment
- note
- remark
- observe
These words all mean to say or write a fact or opinion.
- comment to express an opinion or give facts about something:
  He refused to comment until after the trial.
- note (rather formal) to mention something because it is important or interesting:
  He noted in passing that the company’s record on safety issues was not good.
- remark to say or write what you have noticed about a situation:
  Critics remarked that the play was not original.
- observe (formal) to say or write what you have noticed about a situation:
  She observed that it was getting late.
comment, remark or observe?If you comment on something you say something about it; if you remark on something or observe something, you say something about it that you have noticed: there is often not much difference between the three. However, while you can refuse to comment (without on), you cannot ‘refuse to remark’ or ‘refuse to observe’ (without on): He refused to remark/observe until after the trial. Patterns
- to comment/note/remark/observe that…
- to comment on/note/remark/observe how…
- to comment/remark on something
- to comment/remark/observe to somebody
- ‘It’s long,’ he commented/noted/remarked/observed.
Synonyms notice
notice
- note
- detect
- observe
- witness
These words all mean to see something, especially when you pay careful attention to it.
- notice to see, hear or become aware of somebody/something; to pay attention to somebody/something:
  The first thing I noticed about the room was the smell.
- note (rather formal) to notice or pay careful attention to something:
  Please note (that) the office will be closed on Monday.
  This word is very common in business English: Note that the prices are inclusive of VAT.
- detect to discover or notice something, especially something that is not easy to see, hear, etc:
  The tests are designed to detect the disease early.
- observe (formal) to see or notice somebody/something:
  Have you observed any changes lately?
  The police observed a man enter the bank.
- witness (rather formal) to see something happen:
  Police have appealed for anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them.
Patterns
- to notice/note/detect/observe that/how/what/where/who…
- to notice/observe/witness something happen/somebody do something
Extra Examples
- It is the parents who actually observe these behavioural problems in their children.
- She correctly observed that there was very little difference between the two parties on domestic policies.
- This behaviour is commonly observed among several species of finch.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- carefully
- closely
- precisely
- …
verb + observe
- be able to
- be possible to
- be difficult to
- …
preposition
- among
- for
- from
- …
phrases
- be commonly observed
- be frequently observed
- be widely observed
- …
See full entry
[transitive, intransitive] (formal) to watch somebody/something carefully, especially to learn more about them synonym monitor
- He observes keenly, but says little.
- observe somebody/something I felt he was observing everything I did.
- The patients were observed over a period of several months.
- an observed decrease in rainfall in the area
- The program provided an opportunity to observe the effects of treatment.
- The cells were observed under a microscope.
- observe somebody/something for something The patient should be observed for signs of an allergic reaction.
- observe how, what, etc… They observed how the parts of the machine fitted together.
Synonyms look
look
- watch
- see
- view
- observe
These words all mean to turn your eyes in a particular direction.
- look to turn your eyes in a particular direction:
  If you look carefully you can just see our house from here.
  She looked at me and smiled.
- watch to look at somebody/something for a time, paying attention to what happens:
  to watch television
  Watch what I do, then you try.
- see to watch a game, television programme, performance, etc.:
  In the evening we went to see a movie.
- view (formal) to look at something, especially when you look carefully; to watch television, a film, etc.:
  People came from all over the world to view her work.
watch, see or view?You can see/view a film/programme but you cannot: see/view television. View is more formal than see and is used especially in business contexts.
- observe (formal) to watch somebody/something carefully, especially to learn more about them or it:
  The patients were observed over a period of several months.
Patterns
- to look/watch for somebody/something
- to watch/observe what/who/how…
- to look/watch/view/observe (somebody/something) with amazement/surprise/disapproval, etc.
- to watch/see/view a film/show/programme
- to watch/see a match/game/fight
- to look (at somebody/something)/watch (somebody/something)/observe somebody/something carefully/closely
Extra Examples
- You can learn a lot by simply observing.
- She was unaware that she was being observed from the window.
- It is interesting to observe the reaction of the children to these changes.
- She stood there, quietly observing the domestic scene.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- carefully
- closely
- precisely
- …
verb + observe
- be able to
- be possible to
- be difficult to
- …
preposition
- among
- for
- from
- …
phrases
- be commonly observed
- be frequently observed
- be widely observed
- …
See full entry
[transitive] observe that… | + speech (formal) to make a remark synonym comment
- She observed that it was getting late.
Extra Examples
- ‘It's easy to say that,’ she observed to Michael, ‘but can you prove it?’
- ‘You took your time, ’ he observed coolly.
- The only certainties in this world, as Benjamin Franklin famously observed, are death and taxes.
- The Area Manager observed that takings were down and decided to pay a visit.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- astutely
- correctly
- keenly
- …
preposition
- to
See full entry
[transitive] observe something to obey rules, laws, etc.
- Will the rebels observe the ceasefire?
- The crowd observed a minute's silence (= were silent for one minute) in memory of those who had died.
Extra Examples
- Failure to observe club rules may result in expulsion.
- This procedure must be correctly observed.
Topics Permission and obligationc1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- correctly
- faithfully
- scrupulously
- …
verb + observe
- fail to
phrases
- failure to observe something
See full entry
[transitive] observe something (formal) to celebrate festivals, birthdays, etc.
- Do they observe Christmas?
Topics Religion and festivalsc2

Word Originlate Middle English (in sense (5)): from Old French observer, from Latin observare ‘to watch’, from ob- ‘towards’ + servare ‘attend to, look at’.