Meaning & use
vigil
A period of staying awake and watchful, often at night, especially to keep watch, pray, or show support during a difficult time.
See it in a sentence
Neighbors held a candlelight vigil outside the hospital to support the injured firefighters.
She kept a vigil at her grandmother's bedside throughout the long night.
A note on using this word
Vigil often implies a purposeful, often solemn act of watching, whether religious, political, or personal, rather than simply staying up late.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “vigil”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.