verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈbeɪ.bi.sɪt/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:B EY1 B IY0 S IH0 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: ambitransitive
Examples
My daughter is babysitting for the Morgans at number ten, who are going out on a date night.
We need someone to babysit our children while we go to the theater.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: childsit
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To watch or tend a thing or process without normally intervening in it, e.g. as a precaution should an emergency happen.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal, transitive
Examples
The reaction takes several hours, so we leave a graduate student to babysit it.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To watch or attend anything or anyone more closely than ought to be needed; to have to help or coax too much.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal, transitive
Examples
He left me to babysit the new guy while he got some work done.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: coddle
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Back-formation from babysitter.
Across languages
Translations
37 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
يجالس
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Cherokee:
ᎠᏓᎦᏘᏰᎭ
(adagatiyeha)
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Chinese Mandarin:
代人照看孩子
(dàirén zhàokàn háizi)
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Chinese Mandarin:
照看嬰兒 /照看婴儿
(zhàokàn yīngér)
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Czech:
hlídat děti
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Danish:
babysitte
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Danish:
passe børn
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Dutch:
babysitten
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Dutch:
kinderen passen
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Esperanto:
varti
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Finnish:
olla lapsenvahtina
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Finnish:
olla lapsenlikkana
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
French:
faire du baby-sitting
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
French:
garder
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
German:
babysitten
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Hebrew:
שמרטף
(shmirtéf)
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Hungarian:
bébiszitterkedik
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Hungarian:
bébiszittel
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Hungarian:
gyerekre vigyáz
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Italian:
fare da babysitter
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Japanese:
子守する
(komori suru)
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Korean:
아이를 봐주다
(aireul bwajuda)
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Korean:
애들을 봐주다
(aedeureul bwajuda)
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Norman:
garder
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Norwegian Bokmål:
sitte barnevakt
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Norwegian Bokmål:
passe barn
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Portuguese:
pajear
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Russian:
ня́ньчиться
(njánʹčitʹsja)
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Russian:
сиде́ть с ребёнком / с детьми
(sidétʹ s rebjónkom / s detʹmi)
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Spanish:
cuidar de los niños
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Spanish:
hacer de canguro
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Swedish:
sitta barnvakt
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Vietnamese:
trông trẻ
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Vietnamese:
trông em
— to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money
Dutch:
nauwgelet begeleiden
— to watch or attend anything or anyone unnecessarily closely
Italian:
prendere per mano
— to watch or attend anything or anyone unnecessarily closely
Russian:
ня́ньчиться
(njánʹčitʹsja)
— to watch or attend anything or anyone unnecessarily closely
