waiting

waiting — verb

1. to stay where you are or remain inactive because you believe someone will arrive

1.verbintransitiveA1
Definition

to stay where you are or remain inactive because you believe someone will arrive or something will happen

Example

Takeshi waited for the express train at Grand Central Station.

wait + for + object; adverb at + place

Saira waited patiently by the school gate until her daughter came out.

adverb patiently collocates with wait

Common collocations
  • wait patiently
  • wait anxiously
  • wait in line
  • wait for someone
  • wait for something
  • wait until
  • wait until something happens
  • wait all day
  • wait for hours
Synonyms
  • await

    more formal and always takes a direct object without 'for'; common in written English ('await instructions')

  • hold on

    informal, used for short waits, often on the phone ('hold on a moment')

  • hang on

    very informal British English equivalent of 'hold on'

Antonyms
  • leave

    to go away from a place rather than stay

  • go ahead

    to proceed without waiting

Grammar Patterns

wait + for + object

wait + to-infinitive

wait + (time phrase) + for + object

Usage Note

Frequently used with 'for' to introduce the person or thing being waited for. Unlike some similar verbs, 'wait' takes a preposition, not a direct object — 'wait for the bus', not 'wait the bus'.

Common Mistakes

Please wait me at the entrance.
Please wait FOR me at the entrance.
'wait' is intransitive and needs 'for' before its object.
I waited the bus for twenty minutes.
I waited FOR the bus for twenty minutes.
the thing being waited for always needs 'for'.

2. to be set aside to be done later instead of being dealt with straight away

2.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to be set aside to be done later instead of being dealt with straight away

Example

The laundry can wait until the weekend — we have more urgent things to do.

can wait: expresses non-urgency

Sirin decided that cleaning the garage could wait and went for a run instead.

Common collocations
  • can wait
  • could wait
  • will have to wait
  • wait until later
  • wait for another time
Synonyms
  • be postponed

    more formal and suggests a planned later time ('the meeting was postponed')

  • be delayed

    suggests something is held up, often by external factors ('the flight was delayed')

  • defer

    formal, often used in business or academic contexts ('defer a decision')

Antonyms
  • do now

    to handle immediately rather than postponing

Grammar Patterns

can/could + wait

will have to + wait

subject + can wait + until/till

3. used on road signs to indicate that vehicles must not stop, even for a very shor

3.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

used on road signs to indicate that vehicles must not stop, even for a very short time

Example

A red sign at the entrance said 'No Waiting' — no stopping was allowed there.

sign phrase: 'No Waiting'

Faisal checked for 'No Waiting' signs before leaving his van near the market.

Common collocations
  • no waiting sign
  • no waiting zone
  • no waiting at any time

Grammar Patterns

'No waiting' on signs

Usage Note

This meaning is specific to British road signs and markings. In American English, the equivalent sign says 'No Stopping' or 'No Parking' depending on the rule.

waiting — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Wait' is the most common and general word — it means staying in place until someone arrives or something happens ('We waited for the train for an hour'). 'Await' is more formal and always takes a direct object without a preposition ('The result awaits your confirmation'); it is rarely used in everyday conversation. 'Expect' focuses on the belief that something will happen, regardless of whether you are staying in place ('I expect a reply by Friday'). 'Anticipate' adds a sense of mental preparation or looking forward ('The team is anticipating a difficult match'). Use 'wait' for physical inactivity while expecting; use 'expect' for a belief about the future; use 'anticipate' when you are preparing mentally for something.

waitawait ↗expect ↗anticipate ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • wait in line
  • wait in queue
  • wait your turn
  • wait a moment
  • wait for ages

Prepositions

Etymology

Old North FrenchGermanic FrankishMiddle EnglishModern English

'Waiting' comes from Old North French 'waitier', meaning to watch or guard. It entered English around the 1200s and originally meant 'to watch with hostile intent' or 'to lie in wait'. Over time, the meaning softened to simply staying in place while expecting something — the sense of watching for someone or something to arrive. The noun use (as in 'a waiting game') developed later in the 1500s.