OpenSynonym

babysat

/ˈbeɪbisæt/

VERB

1. To look after and care for children

To take responsibility for watching, supervising, and caring for someone else's child for a limited period, often while the parents or usual caregivers are away.

1.1. Childcare and temporary supervision

Used when someone temporarily takes care of another person's children, ensuring their safety, attending to their needs, and supervising their activities while their parents are absent.

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Examples

  • The responsible teenager proudly babysat her younger siblings while their parents were away.
  • Despite the challenging tantrums, the experienced babysitter confidently babysat the energetic toddler.
  • The grandparents babysat their grandchild during the weekend getaway.
  • Our neighbor babysat the children while we attended a wedding.

Related Words

1.2. Watching and caring for animals

Used informally when someone temporarily takes responsibility for looking after another person's pets or animals, ensuring they are fed, protected, and properly cared for.

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Examples

  • The reliable neighbor babysat the family's pets when they went on vacation.
  • She babysat her friend's two dogs over the holiday weekend.
  • He babysat the kittens while their owner was recovering from surgery.

Related Words

  • pet sitting
  • pet sitter
  • animal care
  • feeding
  • grooming
  • kennel
  • pet owner
  • animal welfare

VERB

2. To supervise or oversee something too closely

To watch, manage, or supervise someone or something with excessive attention, often providing unnecessary assistance, guidance, or control.

2.1. Excessive supervision and micromanagement

Used figuratively to describe closely monitoring or controlling another person's work, activities, or decisions, especially when such supervision is unnecessary or prevents independence.

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Examples

  • The manager babysat every employee throughout the project instead of allowing them to work independently.
  • The experienced team resented being babysat by a supervisor who constantly checked their progress.
  • He babysat the entire operation because he did not trust his assistants to make decisions.

Related Words

  • micromanagement
  • oversight
  • monitoring
  • supervision
  • interference
  • overprotection
  • independence
  • autonomy
  • management