Definition of wait - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
stay putstay in one place until an event happens or someone arrives
- I'll wait here while you shop.
2.
hold backdelay action until a specific time or event
- We will wait until the rain stops.
3.
timebe ready for someone to use or do
- A surprise was waiting for her at home.
4.
relationshipDated remain faithful during a partner's absenceDated
- She promised to wait for him while he was away.
Noun
1.
timeperiod of time before something happens
- There was a long wait before the concert started.
2.
technologyTECH. short form for a temporary processor pause during computingTECH.
- The system entered a wait during processing.
Expressions with wait
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feel very eager and unable to delay for something
I can't wait for the concert to start!
stay in one place doing nothing while waiting for something
We had to wait around for hours before the show started.
endure a situation until it finishes
We decided to wait out the storm.
serve customers in a restaurant or cafe
She used to wait tables at the local diner.
express strong eagerness for a future event or action
I can't wait to see the new movie this weekend!
feel very excited for something to happen soon
I can't wait for the concert next week!
stay in line until it is your turn
You need to wait your turn at the doctor's office.
feel very excited or impatient for something to happen
I can hardly wait for the concert tomorrow!
await events before taking action
Let's wait and see how the situation develops.
endure until a weather storm ends
We decided to wait for the storm to pass before leaving.
be patient until the right time comes
Wait for your moment; the meeting will quiet down soon.
stay in a safe place until a storm ends
We decided to wait out the storm in the cabin.
delay action until the very end of a period
He always waits until the last minute to start his assignments.
valuable enough to justify the delay
The new restaurant is worth the wait for its delicious food.
expresses anticipation for a future event
Just you wait, the show will be amazing!
indicate that a period of waiting has ended and something begins
The wait is over, the new phone is now available.
wait for a very long time
We had to wait ages for the bus.
stay expecting something that never happens or brings success
Fans wait in vain outside, but the band never appears.
endure a situation until it changes or ends
We decided to wait it out until the storm passed.
stay ready for something to happen
We wait on the results eagerly.
stop so someone can catch up
He waited up for his friend on the trail.
stay hidden while waiting
The spy had to wait in the shadows for hours.
rush to finish then wait due to delays
We had to hurry up and wait at the airport.
hide to surprise or attack someone
The soldiers lie in wait for the enemy.
Origin of wait
Old English, wætan (to watch)
Terms with wait included in their meaning
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delay
at the end after a long wait
waiting
wait for a short time
waiting
wait briefly for a short period
pause request
ask someone to wait briefly before continuing
communication
wait for a short time
request
wait for a short time
brief wait
short, unspecified period of time
request to wait
used to ask someone to wait briefly
near future
something will happen soon after a short wait
wait
require a brief wait before proceeding
please wait
tolerate my actions or words
request
ask someone to wait for a short time
patience
endure a short wait patiently
travel
area in airport where passengers wait to board planes
transport waiting area
covered structure where people wait for a bus
wait briefly
ask someone to wait for a short time
wait briefly
wait for a very short moment
informal request
wait for a very short moment
waiting
wait for a short time
decision
wait before acting
waiting
wait briefly for a short time
wait briefly
wait for a short time before continuing
time
wait or delay for a moment
wait briefly
ask someone to wait for a short time
Examples of wait in a sentence
We had to wait for the bus in the rain. Please wait for your turn to speak. They decided to wait until the traffic cleared. A taxi waited outside the hotel for the guests. Fresh towels are waiting in your room. He asked her to wait while he served overseas.
They decided to wait for each other during the long deployment. The wait for the bus seemed endless. A short wait preceded the announcement. The program experienced a wait during execution. A wait occurred in the system's response time.
View all translations of wait
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:attendre, attente, ...
- German:warten, Wartezeit, ...
- Italian:aspettare, attesa, ...
- Spanish:quedarse, espera, ...
- Portuguese:aguardar, espera, ...
- Chinese:等待, 等待时间, ...
- Japanese:待つ, 待ち時間, ...
- Arabic:اِنْتَظَرَ, انْتِظَار, ...
- Hebrew:לַחֲכוֹת, הַמְתָּנָה, ...
- Russian:ждать, ожидание, ...
- Ukrainian:чекати, очікування, ...
- Hindi:इंतज़ार करना, इंतजार, ...
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