different between beholding vs watchfulness

English

Verb

beholding

1. present participle of behold

Adjective

beholding (comparative more beholding, superlative most beholding)

1. Obsolete form of beholden.
   • 1612, Shakespeare, Henry VIII, V, 5

     I thank ye all. To you, my good lord mayor,

     And your good brethren, I am much beholding;

     I have received much honour by your presence,

     And ye shall find me thankful.

   • 1556, Raphe Robynson (More's Utopia)

     I was much bound and beholding to the right reverend father.

   • So much hath Oxford been beholding to her nephews, or sister's children.

Noun

beholding (plural beholdings)

1. The act by which something is beheld; regard; contemplation.
   • a. 1847, Robert Traill, a sermon

     But this text and theme I am upon, relates to somewhat far higher and greater, than all the beholdings of his glory that ever any saint on earth received.

English

Etymology

watchful +? -ness

Noun

watchfulness (countable and uncountable, plural watchfulnesses)

1. The state or quality of being watchful; alertness, vigilance or wakefulness.

   Continuous watchfulness is maintained around the clock.

   • 1665, Robert Hooke, Micrographia, Preface,^[1]

     The first thing to be undertaken in this weighty work, is a watchfulness over the failings and an inlargement of the dominion, of the Senses.

   • 1784, Samuel Johnson, letter addressed to Mr. Langton dated 25 August, 1784, cited in James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, London: Charles Dilly, 1791, Volume 2, p. 545,^[2]

     Nights of watchfulness produce torpid days […]

   • 1896, H. G. Wells, The Island of Doctor Moreau, New York: Stone & Kimball, Chapter 9, p. 82,^[3]

     Every dark form in the dimness had its ominous quality, its peculiar suggestion of alert watchfulness.

   • 1944, Neville Shute, Pastoral, London: Heinemann, Chapter 4,

     The steady rhythm of the engines, the fact that he had been sleeping badly, the boredom of a flight that he had done so many times before and did not want to do again, the long humiliation and unhappiness that was always in the background of his mind, all fought against his watchfulness.

Related terms

• watchful

Translations