babysit

verb

ba·​by·​sit ˈbā-bē-ˌsit How to pronounce babysit (audio)
babysat ˈbā-bē-ˌsat How to pronounce babysit (audio) ; babysitting
Synonyms of babysitnext

intransitive verb

: to care for children usually during a short absence of the parents
broadly : to give care
babysit for a neighbor's pets

transitive verb

: to babysit for
She babysits her grandchildren.
broadly : mind, tend
babysit house plants
police babysitting a witness
babysitter noun

Examples of babysit in a Sentence

She babysits their kids on Saturday nights.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
If a price feels off, movement just stops, and the owner is not going to babysit a slow mover for three months. — Joel Goldstein, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 Maybe the novel was narrated by an outsider who was hired to babysit the son and keep him out of trouble. — Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026 They can be hired to babysit other kids, do household tasks or deliver newspapers. — Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026 Except on Mondays, when the church’s youth fellowship met, Adele was expected to come straight home from school and babysit her brothers. — Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for babysit

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from babysitter

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of babysit was in 1944

Browse Nearby Words

baby shower
babysit
babysitter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Babysit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/babysit. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

babysit

verb
ba·​by·​sit ˈbā-bē-ˌsit How to pronounce babysit (audio)
babysat -ˌsat How to pronounce babysit (audio) ; babysitting
: to care for children usually while the parents are away for a short time
babysitter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on babysit

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for babysit

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