When the word "watch" is used as a verb, it means that a person is actively looking at something and paying attention while looking. It’s a little different from the verbs "look" or "see."
I saw a movie at the movie theater.
I watched a movie on TV.
I looked at the TV.
Generally, we use the verb "see" for films and movies, and we use "watch" for entertainment on a television or large-screen TV.
Here are some more examples of how the word "watch" is used as a verb:
Who watches your kids while you are away from home? (watch = baby sit)
Investors watch changes that occur in the stock market.
Consumers watch for prices to drop in the form of a sale.
One way to learn how to play baseball is to watch people play it.
The police are watching the man who lives in the house down the street. (watch = follow; monitor)
What do you like to watch on TV?
You have to watch out for other people. (watch out = pay attention to what people are doing)
The Superbowl is the most watched television program of the year. (The word "watched" is an adjective in this sentence.)
The pirates watched as their ship sank. (This sentence is in the past tense.)
The word "watch" can be used as an interjection:
Hey, watch out! (watch out = be careful)
Watch it! (watch it = I’m giving you a warning.)
Watch. (watch = pay attention)
When the word "watch" is used as a noun, it can refer to a device used for telling time:
He’s wearing a watch.
Maria looked at her watch to see what time it was.
A Rolex is a nice watch.
Do you wear a watch?
As a noun, the word "watch" is also used when there’s a concerted effort to pay attention to something:
A tornado watch was announced on television a few minutes ago. (tornado watch = conditions are good for a tornado to form)
A neighborhood watch group was formed by neighbors concerned about crime.
People whose names are on a terrorist watch list are prevented from boarding airplanes.
