Definition of expect - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
forecastingpredict or believe something will happen
- I expect it will rain tomorrow.
2.
anticipationDated UK wait for or awaitDated UK
- He expected the bus at the usual stop.
3.
expectationsDated consider reasonably dueDated
- I expect a response by next week.
4.
obligationconsider obligatory or required
- Parents expect their children to behave well.
5.
familyintr. be pregnant or consider a baby dueintr.
- She is expecting her first child.
Expressions with expect
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to hope for extraordinary outcomes
She tends to expect miracles when starting new projects.
be ready for surprising events or outcomes
In this job, you must expect the unexpected.
expresses resignation about an expected outcome
The service was slow, but still, what can you expect.
prepare for the most negative outcome
When traveling during winter, always expect the worst.
understand likely outcomes in a situation
Before the meeting, she knew what to expect.
in a way that is predictable or unsurprising
As you might expect, the sun rose in the east.
in a way that is normal or unsurprising
As one might expect, the store was busy on Saturday.
used to say something is not surprising in the situation
The trains are late again; what else can we expect in winter.
Origin of expect
Latin, ex (out) + spectare (to look)
Terms with expect included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
intention
intend or expect to do something
expect arrival
remain in place until someone or something arrives or happens
anticipate positively
expect with confidence
goals
achievable or sensible to expect
rely
trust something or someone will do what you expect
raise expectations
make someone expect something good will happen
optimism
expect something very good or successful to happen
expecting outcome
expect or wish for something to happen in the future
positive outcome
expect the most favorable result
future intention
intend or expect to do something
anticipation
anticipate or expect something
anticipate event
expect something to happen before it does
optimism
expect good things will happen later
mindset
focus on good aspects and expect favorable outcomes
communication
to expect a reply from someone
food
accepted level of quality people expect from meals or ingredients
expect and prepare
know something will happen and get ready for it
unexpected
opposite to what you expect or described
expectation
wait for something you expect to happen
expectation
expect or plan for something to happen
expect failure
expect a negative outcome for someone or something
raise expectations
make someone expect something good or exciting
humorous proverb
expresses dogs obey owners and cats expect to be served
caution optimism
advise not to expect success too early or eagerly
Examples of expect in a sentence
They expect a lot from their new employee. She expected a letter from her friend overseas. We expect rain later in the afternoon. We expect fair treatment from the company. You can expect a call from the manager soon. Teachers expect students to complete their homework on time.
We expect honesty from all our employees. My sister and her partner are expecting in October. They were expecting twins when they moved abroad.
View all translations of expect
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:s'attendre, attendre, ...
- German:erwarten, warten, ...
- Italian:aspettarsi, aspettare, ...
- Spanish:esperar, aguardar, ...
- Portuguese:prever, aguardar, ...
- Chinese:预计, 期待, ...
- Japanese:予測する, 待つ, ...
- Arabic:تَوَقَّعَ, انْتَظَرَ, ...
- Hebrew:לִצְפּוֹת, לְצַפּוֹת לְ, ...
- Russian:ожидать, ждать, ...
- Ukrainian:очікувати, чекати, ...
- Hindi:अनुमान लगाना, प्रतीक्षा करना, ...
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