Condition of heightened watchfulness or preparation for action.
1He sat like a man who is perpetually on the qui vive.
2A species of horrible curiosity kept every one on the qui vive.
3We were on the qui vive till daylight, and prepared for the combat.
4His instinct for the truth is always on the qui vive.-C.
5You will readily understand that all my faculties were now on the qui vive.
6Yet these two women were certainly on the qui vive.
7I know the government are all on the ' qui vive.'
8But a man cannot always be on the qui vive.
9We're pretty well forward here and we have to keep on the qui vive.
10He produced the effect of setting the men on the qui vive without alarming them.
11These incidents had set the whole police force of the city on the qui vive.
12From the gunner's mate down every man of the crew was on the qui vive.
13The colonists were on the qui vive, and did not leave their post at the Chimneys.
14All the people were en the qui vive.
15The guard was thoroughly on the qui vive by that time, if not suspicious, then officious.
16Instantly Byers was on the qui vive, he being nearest the point indicated by the blue flare.
Translations for qui vive