to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens (often followed by for, till, or until): to wait for the bus to arrive.
(of things) to be available or in readiness: A letter is waiting for you.
to remain neglected for a time: a matter that can wait.
to postpone or delay something or to be postponed or delayed: We waited a week and then bought the house. Your vacation will have to wait until next month.
to look forward to eagerly: I'm just waiting for the day somebody knocks him down.
verb (used with object)
to continue as one is in expectation of; await: to wait one's turn at a telephone booth.
to postpone or delay in expectation: Don't wait supper for me.
Archaic. (of things) to be in readiness for; be reserved for; await: Glory waits thee.
Archaic. to attend upon or escort, especially as a sign of respect.
noun
an act or instance of waiting or awaiting; delay; halt: a wait at the border.
a period or interval of waiting: There will be a long wait between trains.
Theater.
the time between two acts, scenes, or the like.
stage wait.
British.
waits,(formerly) a band of musicians employed by a city or town to play music in parades, for official functions, etc.
a street musician, especially a singer.
one of a band of carolers.
a piece sung by carolers, especially a Christmas carol.
Obsolete. a watchman.
Verb Phrases
wait on,
to perform the duties of an attendant or servant for.
to supply the wants of a person, as serving a meal or serving a customer in a store.
to call upon or visit (a person, especially a superior): to wait on Her Majesty at the palace.
Falconry.(of a hawk) to soar over ground until prey appears.
Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S.to wait for (a person); await.
Also wait upon.to await (an event).
wait up,
to postpone going to bed to await someone's arrival.
Informal.to halt and wait for another to join one, as in running or walking: Wait up, I can't walk so fast.
Idioms for wait
lie in wait, to wait in ambush: The army lay in wait in the forest.
wait table. table (def. 26).
Origin of wait
First recorded in 1150–1200; (verb) early Middle English waiten, from Anglo-French waitier;Old French guaitier, from Germanic; cognate with Old High German wahtēn “to watch,” derivative of wahta ”a watch” (see wake1); (noun) late Middle English, from Anglo-French, derivative of waitier
SYNONYMS FOR wait
1 await, linger, abide, delay.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR wait ON THESAURUS.COM
synonym study for wait
1. Wait,tarry imply pausing to linger and thereby putting off further activity until later. Wait usually implies staying for a limited time and for a definite purpose, that is, for something expected: to wait for a train.Tarry is a somewhat archaic word for wait, but it suggests lingering, perhaps aimlessly delaying, or pausing (briefly) in a journey: to tarry on the way home; to tarry overnight at an inn.
usage note for wait
15e, f. Sometimes considered objectionable in standard usage, the idiom wait on meaning “to wait for, to await (a person)” is largely confined to speech or written representations of speech. It is most common in the Midland and Southern United States: Let's not wait on Rachel, she's always late.Wait on or upon (an event) does not have a regional pattern and occurs in a wide variety of contexts: We will wait on (or upon ) his answer and make our decision then. The completion of the merger waits upon news of a drop in interest rates.
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wait
wait , weight
Words nearby wait
waisted, waist-high, waistline, waist of heart, waist pack, wait, wait-a-bit, wait a minute, wait and see, Waitangi Day, Waitangi Tribunal
That said, with Tesla having having achieved one of the main requirements to be added—reporting profits for four consecutive quarters—the wait has surprised some.
Here’s one possible reason why Tesla wasn’t added to the S&P 500|Anne Sraders|September 8, 2020|Fortune
Sussman was surprised by the expense but he said he was familiar with the Physicians Premier high-dollar business model, in which the convenience of a free-standing ER with no wait comes at a cost.
A Doctor Went to His Own Employer for a COVID-19 Antibody Test. It Cost $10,984.|by Marshall Allen|September 5, 2020|ProPublica
It still requires processing by clinical laboratories, which contributes to the wait time between providing a sample and receiving results.
New coronavirus tests promise to be faster, cheaper and easier|Jack J. Lee|August 31, 2020|Science News
According to Behnam Pourdeyhimi, the director of the Nonwovens Institute at North Carolina State University, the current wait for a machine that can produce the melt-blown polypropylene used in N95 respirators is about 14 months.
Unmade in America|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 14, 2020|MIT Technology Review
So far, all the players seemed to be willing to wait their turn.
The Golden State Preps for the ‘Red Wedding’ of Senate Races|David Freedlander|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And they might not have to wait that long to show their political heft.
Asian-Americans Are The New Florida|Tim Mak|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And as he adjusted to this change in circumstances, he screamed at himself a second time: Wait!
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In fact, Americans had to wait several hours until film of the event reached New York for it to be broadcast.
Dr. King Goes to Hollywood: The Flawed History of ‘Selma’|Gary May|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The incident sparked his belief in Santa, but he would have to wait nearly two decades before dressing up as Jolly St. Nick.
Kerry Bentivolio: The Congressman Who Believes in Santa Claus|Ben Jacobs|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Pending further inquiry they were obliged to wait the conclusion of the expressman's humorous recital.
Colonel Starbottle's Client and Other Stories|Bret Harte
Wait until I get my degree, and the law cases come pouring in on me, with big fees—say, maybe I could give your dad some points!
For the Honor of Randall|Lester Chadwick
His soldiers broke into cheers, but he sternly stopped them, with the advice to wait till the Hartford was sunk.
Dewey and Other Naval Commanders|Edward S. Ellis
We must wait we must both wait p-patiently till time has s-softened——'
Vera|Elisabeth von Arnim
A moment later she was thankful for the impulse that caused her to wait.
The Silent Alarm|Roy J. Snell
British Dictionary definitions for wait
wait
/ (weɪt) /
verb
(when intr, often foll by for, until, or to) to stay in one place or remain inactive in expectation (of something); hold oneself in readiness (for something)
to delay temporarily or be temporarily delayedthat work can wait
(when intr, usually foll by for) (of things) to be in store (for a person)success waits for you in your new job
(intr)to act as a waiter or waitress
noun
the act or an instance of waiting
a period of waiting
(plural)rarea band of musicians who go around the streets, esp at Christmas, singing and playing carols
an interlude or interval between two acts or scenes in a play, etc
lie in waitto prepare an ambush (for someone)
See also wait on, wait up
Word Origin for wait
C12: from Old French waitier; related to Old High German wahtēn to wake1