frequently-watched
|fre-quent-ly-watched|
🇺🇸
/ˈfriːkwəntli ˈwɑtʃt/
🇬🇧
/ˈfriːkwəntli ˈwɒtʃt/
(watch)
observe attentively
Etymology
'frequently-watched' is a compound of the adverb 'frequently' and the verb 'watch'. 'frequently' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'frequens'/'frequent-', meaning 'crowded' or 'repeated', which passed into Middle English via Old French; 'watch' originates from Old English 'wæccan' meaning 'to be awake' or 'to observe'.
'frequently' entered English from Latin 'frequens' through Old French 'frequent' and Middle English 'frequent(ly)'; 'watch' comes from Old English 'wæccan' (to be awake, observe) and developed into Middle English 'wachten'/'watchen' and modern English 'watch'. The compound form 'frequently-watched' is a modern English formation using an adverb + past participle.
Initially, the roots referred to 'repetition/being numerous' ('frequent') and 'being awake/observing' ('watch'); combined in modern English they convey the current meaning 'watched often' or 'viewed frequently'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past participle form of 'watch' combined with the adverb 'frequently'—used in passive or perfect constructions to mean 'was/were watched often'.
Many episodes were frequently-watched by fans after their original broadcast.
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Adjective 1
watched often; viewed frequently (used attributively or predicatively, e.g. a frequently-watched program).
The frequently-watched series drew high audience numbers every week.
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Last updated: 2025/08/14 07:26