await

American  

[uh-weyt] / əˈweɪt /

verb (used with object)

• awaits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• awaited,
  past participle,  past
• awaiting
  present participle

1. to wait for; expect; look for.

   He is still awaiting an answer.

2. to be in store for; be imminent.

   A pleasant surprise awaits her in today's mail.

3. Obsolete. to lie in wait for.

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verb (used without object)

• awaits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• awaited,
  past participle,  past
• awaiting
  present participle

1. to wait, as in expectation.

await British  

/ əˈweɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to wait for; expect

2. (tr) to be in store for

3. (intr) to wait, esp with expectation

4. obsolete (tr) to wait for in order to ambush

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Usage

What are other ways to say await?

To await something is to wait for it or look for it expectantly. How is await different from anticipate, hope, and expect? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• awaiter
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• awaiting
  present
• awaited
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• await
  simple
• awaits
  simple
• have awaited
  perfect
• has awaited
  perfect
• am awaiting
  progressive
• are awaiting
  progressive
• is awaiting
  progressive
• have been awaiting
  perfect progressive
• has been awaiting
  perfect progressive

Past

• awaited
  simple
• had awaited
  perfect
• was awaiting
  progressive
• were awaiting
  progressive
• had been awaiting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will await
  simple
• will have awaited
  perfect
• will be awaiting
  progressive
• will have been awaiting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of await

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English awaiten, from Old North French awaitier (Old French aguaitier ), equivalent to a- a- ⁵ + waitier wait

Explanation

To await is to anticipate or look forward to something. If you're hoping to get a letter from your pen pal, you'll eagerly await the mail carrier's arrival every afternoon. When you await a phone call, you might sit by the telephone at home or keep your cell phone in your hand. A prisoner who awaits trial is biding his time until his case comes before a judge. Sometimes await implies that some particular outcome is in store for someone: "A terrible surprise awaits her, when she gets home and sees that her dog ate the sofa."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

await awaits awaited awaiting

For those qualified to work at a big-league tech shop, plenty of other compelling opportunities likely await, she says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

What seems to matter more to the broader market is the path for inflation, as investors await the release of the consumer-price-index report for August on Friday.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026

Investors await U.S. inflation data Friday which will set the stage for next week’s Federal Reserve meeting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

Likewise, organisations working in the sector have welcomed promises of multi-year funding and an end to a postcode lottery of provision - although they await the details.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Inej joined Nina at the edge of the dome to await the arrival of the Menagerie.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

A deluge of cattiness awaits us in 2027.

From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026

The bill — which cleared the Assembly by a vote of 72 to 2 and the Senate by 33 to 5 — now awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

The answer awaits in the Astors’ dressing room.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

The Indian captain of an alleged Russian shadow fleet oil vessel seized by British commandos has been made a "scapegoat", his wife told AFP, as her husband awaits trial.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

“Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him,” his heart said.

From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho

A small group of demonstrators waving Palestinian flags awaited Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar when he visited Fiji earlier this year.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

Treasury and European government bond yields were little changed as investors awaited August U.S. employment data.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Thousands of people displaced by a powerful earthquake in eastern Indonesia awaited much-needed aid on Monday as they camped out at schools, police stations and government offices, with many stuck outside.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

They hit an intraday low of $104.83 on Aug. 3, as investors awaited the company’s first earnings report.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

Sisters clung to sisters, friends to friends, as we awaited our fate.

From "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" by Michaela DePrince

A local diver in Coron told the BBC on Friday that he and his team were on standby to help out and awaiting instructions from the coast guard.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

When these issues surfaced publicly at the All-Star Game two months ago, the league said it was awaiting a counterproposal from the union.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

“We are now awaiting August central bank data to confirm whether official-sector demand, a key structural pillar of this bull market, remains as robust as in prior months,” says SocGen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

A wooden walkway next to the bridge, which allows people to follow a footpath on the river bank, had to be closed off and it is still awaiting repair.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

There, visiting pilgrims, knights at arms, merchants, and minstrels gathered, each awaiting the attention of the Prior.

From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli

Related Words

• anticipate
• attend
• count on
• stay