expectantex‧pec‧tant /ɪkˈspektənt/ adjective [usually before noun] 
Examples
a row of expectant faces2expectant mother/father a mother or father whose baby will be born soon—expectantly adverb: He looked expectantly at Sarah, but she didn’t speak.
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Expectant crowds waited outside the theatre.
- Bright expectant faces were turned upward toward the stage.
- The children were looking at the gifts with expectant expressions.
- The darkened assembly room became suddenly hushed and expectant as the picture appeared on the screen.
- I felt their arms on my shoulders and their ripe, expectant, human faces very close to mine.
- Mike raised a resigned hand in farewell, and turned towards an expectant cyclo boy.
- She helps adults, including expectant parents, find ways to repair the traumas they may have suffered as children.
- The darkened assembly room became suddenly hushed and expectant as the picture on the screen changed.
- There are expectant miaows when tin-opener noises are detected and irritated miaows when some fixed routine has been disregarded.
- There is an expectant market, eager for the new products and western brands.
Longman Language Activatorhaving a baby developing in your body► pregnant
Collocations · The health centre provides milk and vitamins for pregnant women.· When our cat was pregnant she looked like a round, furry ball.get pregnant · We can't stop teens from having sex, but we can help them to avoid getting pregnant.pregnant with somebody · When I was pregnant with Mandy, I felt fat and unattractive.twenty weeks/three months etc pregnant · When Janette was three months pregnant, she caught flu.heavily pregnant British (=when the baby is almost ready to be born) · By this time I was heavily pregnant and could hardly get into any of my clothes.
► be going to have a baby/be having a baby to have a baby developing in your body - used especially when you are telling someone that you or another person is going to have a baby: · Isn't it wonderful that Susie's going to have a baby?· My boss is having a baby in March, but she's only taking two months maternity leave.· The doctor told Ellie that the tests were positive and she was going to have a baby.
► be expecting spoken informal to have a baby developing inside you: · They'd only been married a couple of months and already Rebecca was expecting.
► expectant mother a woman who is going to have a baby: · Expectant mothers are entitled to free healthcare.· Expectant mothers sometimes have cravings for unusual foods.
► mother-to-be also mum-to-be British informal a woman who is going to have a baby: · I hear you are now a mother-to-be.· For first time mothers-to-be, the importance of regular check-ups cannot be stressed enough.
when someone is waiting for something to happen► patient able to wait calmly without becoming annoyed or bored: · I'm sure she'll write soon. Just try to be patient.· Halle was patient, waiting for the boy to finish his explanation.
► impatient becoming annoyed because you have been waiting for a long time: · Don't be so impatient. I'm working as fast as I can.· By this time there was a queue of impatient customers waiting to be served.impatient for: · The new minister was almost immediately the object of attack by politicians and press impatient for results.get/become/grow impatient (with): · I could see that Max was getting impatient with me.
► look forward to to wait happily or excitedly for something that is going to happen: · I'm really looking forward to this trip to Japan.· We used to look forward to the weekends because that was when we could spend some time together.look forward to to doing something: · I look forward to meeting you next month.
► can't wait if you say you can't wait , you mean you feel excited and impatient because something good is going to happen and you want it to happen as soon as possible: · We're flying to Austria on Friday. I can't wait!can't wait for: · I can't wait for Christmas!· School is so boring. I can't wait for the holidays to come.can't wait to do something: · I can't wait to see their new house.· She couldn't wait to quit her job and get married.
► hold your breath to wait anxiously to see what is going to happen, especially when there is a possibility that something bad may happen: · Rachel held her breath as she waited for his answer.· The art world will be holding its breath to see how much these paintings sell for at auction.
► expectant waiting hopefully and excitedly for something to happen: · Bright expectant faces were turned upward toward the stage.· Expectant crowds waited outside the theatre.· The darkened assembly room became suddenly hushed and expectant as the picture appeared on the screen.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► father
Phrases· Everyone treats me with the temerity usually afforded to expectant fathers and potential Messiahs.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► expectant mother/father
Word family- Everyone treats me with the temerity usually afforded to expectant fathers and potential Messiahs.
WORD FAMILYnounexpectancyexpectationadjectiveexpectantexpected ≠ unexpectedadverbexpectantlyunexpectedlyverbexpect
1hopeful that something good or exciting will happen, or showing this: a row of expectant faces2expectant mother/father a mother or father whose baby will be born soon—expectantly adverb: He looked expectantly at Sarah, but she didn’t speak.