babysit

verb

ba·​by·​sit ˈbā-bē-ˌsit 

babysat ˈbā-bē-ˌsat  ; babysitting

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

So consider asking a grandparent, other relative, or caregiver to babysit—a little me-time is healthy for everyone involved. —Francyne Zeltser, Parents, 12 Sep. 2024

The first grader’s mother was working the night shift at St. Joseph’s Hospital and had asked Love to babysit her son. —Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2024

All my friends want to babysit him, and everybody is always sending me pictures hanging with him. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2024

Other amenities include showers, a game room with a nanny to babysit kids, a business center, and a media room. —Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 9 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from babysitter

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

babysit

verb

ba·​by·​sit ˈbā-bē-ˌsit 

babysat -ˌsat  ; babysitting

: to care for children usually while the parents are away for a short time

babysitter noun