waiting

[ wey-ting ]

/ ˈweɪ tɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR waiting ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a period of waiting; pause, interval, or delay.

adjective

serving or being in attendance: waiting man; waiting maid; waiting woman.

Idioms for waiting

in waiting, in attendance, as upon a royal personage.

Origin of waiting

1150–1200; Middle English (noun); see wait, -ing¹, -ing²

OTHER WORDS FROM waiting

wait·ing·ly, adverb

Words nearby waiting

waitangi day, waitangi tribunal, waite, waiter, waitering, waiting, waiting for godot, waiting game, waiting in the wings, waiting list, waiting period

Definition for waiting (2 of 2)

wait

[ weyt ]

/ weɪt /

verb (used without object)

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.

Origin of wait

1150–1200; (v.) early Middle English waiten < Anglo-French waitier; Old French guaitier < Germanic; cognate with Old High German wahtēn to watch, derivative of wahta a watch (see wake¹); (noun) late Middle English < AF derivative of waitier

SYNONYMS FOR wait

1 await, linger, abide, delay. 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.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR wait ON THESAURUS.COM

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

Example sentences from the Web for waiting

Should lightning strike and Hillary Clinton forgoes a presidential run, Democrats have a nominee in waiting.

Sen. Warren’s Main Street Crusade to Pressure Clinton |Eleanor Clift |January 8, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
In a show about single women, Sex and The City was always in a rush to get to the altar—and with a man there waiting.

Why Singles Should Say ‘I Don’t’ to The Self-Marriage Movement |Tim Teeman |December 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
I was going to do it myself, but was waiting for the new year.

The Insurance Company Promised a Gender Reassignment. Then They Made a Mistake. |James Joiner |December 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But I remain in prison on these baseless allegations while waiting for the chance to prove my innocence.

An American Marine in Iran’s Prisons Goes on Hunger Strike |IranWire |December 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Waiting more than three years for a resolution is far too long.

An American Marine in Iran’s Prisons Goes on Hunger Strike |IranWire |December 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Belfast resolved on waiting "to see what the South would do," and the South waited for Belfast.

Speeches from the Dock, Part I |Various
The cook here turned to me, saying that Mrs. Fairfax was waiting for me: so I departed.

Jane Eyre |Charlotte Bronte
"I'm waiting to hear about those little savages of yours," she said, as Mary greeted her and sank limply down into a chair.

Mary Ware in Texas |Annie F. Johnston
Only Messrs. Seward and Bates hang timidly behind, waiting for stronger manifestations, ere they hang out their flags.

Continental Monthly , Vol I, Issue I, January 1862 |Various
Mrs. Kaye had been watching and waiting for General Lingard since ten o'clock.

Jane Oglander |Marie Belloc Lowndes

British Dictionary definitions for waiting

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 delayed that 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) rare a 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 wait to prepare an ambush (for someone)

Word Origin for wait

C12: from Old French waitier; related to Old High German wahtēn to wake 1

Idioms and Phrases with waiting

wait

In addition to the idioms beginning with wait

wait a minute
wait and see
wait at table
wait for the other shoe to drop
waiting game
waiting in the wings
wait on
wait on hand and foot
wait out
wait up

also see:

can't wait
hurry up and wait
in waiting
lie in wait
play a waiting game

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

waiting

noun

adjective

Idioms for waiting

Origin of waiting

OTHER WORDS FROM waiting

Words nearby waiting

Definition for waiting (2 of 2)

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of wait

SYNONYMS FOR wait

usage note for wait

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wait

Example sentences from the Web for waiting

British Dictionary definitions for waiting

verb

noun

Word Origin for wait

Idioms and Phrases with waiting

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

waiting

noun

adjective

Idioms for waiting

Origin of waiting

OTHER WORDS FROM waiting

Words nearby waiting

Definition for waiting (2 of 2)

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of wait

SYNONYMS FOR wait

usage note for wait

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wait

Words related to waiting

Example sentences from the Web for waiting

British Dictionary definitions for waiting

verb

noun

Word Origin for wait

Idioms and Phrases with waiting