Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense expects, present participle expecting, past tense, past participle expected
1. verb
If you expect something to happen, you believe that it will happen.
...a council workman who expects to lose his job in the next few weeks. [VERB to-infinitive]
They no longer expect corporate profits to improve. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
The talks are expected to continue until tomorrow. [beVERB-ed to-infinitive]
Few expected that he would declare his candidacy for the Democratic nomination forthe presidency. [VERB that]
It is expected that the new owner will change the yacht's name. [beVERB-ed that]
They expect a gradual improvement in sales of new cars. [VERB noun]
2. verb [usually cont]
If you are expecting something or someone, you believe that they will be delivered to you or come to you soon, often because this has been arranged earlier.
I am expecting several important letters but nothing has arrived. [VERB noun]
I wasn't expecting a visitor. [VERB noun]
We were expecting him home again any day now. [VERB noun adverb]
3. verb
If you expect something, or expect a person to do something, you believe that it is your right to have that thing, or the person's duty to do it for you.
He wasn't expecting our hospitality. [VERB noun]
I do expect to have some time to myself in the evenings. [VERB to-infinitive]
I wasn't expecting you to help. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
Is this a rational thing to expect of your partner, or not? [VERB noun + of]
She realizes now she expected too much of Helen. [V amount + of]
Synonyms: anticipate, look forward to, predict, envisage More Synonyms of expect
4. verb
If you tell someone not to expect something, you mean that the thing is unlikely to happen as they have planned or imagined, and they should not hope that it will.
Don't expect an instant cure. [VERB noun]
You cannot expect to like all the people you will work with. [VERB to-infinitive]
Don't expect me to come and visit you there. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
5. verb [only cont]
If you say that a woman is expecting a baby, or that she is expecting, you mean that she is pregnant.
She was expecting another baby. [VERB noun]
I hear Dawn's expecting again. [VERB]
6.
See I expect
7.
See what can/do you expect
More Synonyms of expect
expect in British English
(ɪkˈspɛkt)
verb(tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive)
1.
to regard as probable or likely; anticipate
she expects to win
2.
to look forward to or be waiting for
we expect good news today
3.
to decide that (something) is requisite or necessary; require
the boss expects us to work late today
Derived forms
expectable (exˈpectable)
adjective
expectably (exˈpectably)
adverb
Word origin
C16: from Latin exspectāre to watch for, from spectāre to look at
expect in American English
(ɛkˈspɛkt; ɪkˈspɛkt)
verb transitive
1.
to look for as likely to occur or appear; look forward to; anticipate
I expected you sooner
2.
to look for as due, proper, or necessary
to expect a reward
3. Informal
to suppose; presume; guess
4. Obsolete
to wait for
Idioms:
be expecting
SYNONYMY NOTE: expect implies a considerable degree of confidence that a particular event will happen [to expect guests for dinner]; anticipate implies a looking forward to something with a foretaste of the pleasure or distressit promises, or a realizing of something in advance, and a taking of steps to meetit [to anticipate trouble]; hope implies a desire for something, accompanied by some confidence in the belief thatit can be realized [to hope for the best]; await implies a waiting for, or a being ready for, a person or thing [a hearty welcome awaits you]
Derived forms
expectable (exˈpectable)
adjective
Word origin
L expectare, exspectare < ex-, out + spectare, to look, freq. of specere, to see: see spectacle
Examples of 'expect' in a sentence
expect
But many expect things to get tougher this year.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The new prices are expected to take effect within the next week.
The Sun (2017)
As a chairman you cannot expect that things will always be rosy.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She was still with her university sweetheart and was the last person you would expect to see in an action movie.
The Sun (2016)
Now we expect high-street offerings delivered direct to our door.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The same conditions are expected again today in northern regions.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
You have a right to expect certain things from your youngsters.
Cohen, Julian & Kay, James Taking Drugs Seriously (1994)
We regard this as a very serious breach of the standards of behaviour expected of approved persons.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
What should we expect his new school to put in place to deal with his needs?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
They are now expected within the next few weeks.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Other banks are expected to come under increased regulatory scrutiny in coming months.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The return of money you did not expect to see again means a lot.
The Sun (2007)
Yet the last thing he expected was it to be used in such a cause.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They make me into a kind of holy person and expect me to be that for them.
Christianity Today (2000)
New plants are expected to be built at or near existing nuclear sites.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
That figure is now expected to move towards the higher end of expectations.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Somebody you did not expect to meet again reappears with plans to share.
The Sun (2011)
More marriages than anyone expects can bring new faces into the family circle.
The Sun (2006)
Most economists now expect that to happen.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It will be the prospect of witnessing something few of us expected to see again.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Expect things to get bigger and better.
The Sun (2015)
Economists had expected it to come in at about 3 per cent.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Dreams won't come as you expect they might.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
expect
British English: expect /ɪkˈspɛkt/ VERB
If you expect something to happen, you believe that it will happen.
He expects to lose his job soon.
American English: expect
Arabic: يَتَوَقَّعُ
Brazilian Portuguese: esperar
Chinese: 期待
Croatian: očekivati
Czech: očekávat
Danish: forvente
Dutch: verwachten
European Spanish: esperar expectativa
Finnish: olettaa
French: attendre à (‘s)
German: erwarten
Greek: αναμένω
Italian: aspettarsi
Japanese: 期待する
Korean: 기대하다
Norwegian: forvente
Polish: spodziewać się
European Portuguese: esperar
Romanian: a aștepta
Russian: ожидать
Latin American Spanish: esperar
Swedish: förvänta (sig)
Thai: คาดว่า
Turkish: ummak
Ukrainian: очікувати
Vietnamese: trông mong
Chinese translation of 'expect'
expect
(ɪksˈpɛkt)
vt
(= anticipate) 预(預)料 (yùliào)
⇒ I expect it will rain.我预计会下雨。 (Wǒ yùjì huì xiàyǔ.)
(= await) 期待 (qīdài)
⇒ I am expecting an important letter.我正在等一封重要的信。 (Wǒ zhèngzài děng yī fēng zhòngyào de xìn.)
[baby]怀(懷)有 (huáiyǒu)
⇒ She was expecting her second child.她正怀着她的第2个孩子。 (Tā zhèng huáizhe tā de dì'èr gè háizi.)
(= require) 期望 (qīwàng)
⇒ They expect a good tip.他们期望得到不少小费。 (Tāmen qīwàng dédào bù shǎo xiǎofèi.)