await
Americanverb (used with object)
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to wait for; expect; look for.
He is still awaiting an answer.
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to be in store for; be imminent.
A pleasant surprise awaits her in today's mail.
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Obsolete. to lie in wait for.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to wait for; expect
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(tr) to be in store for
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(intr) to wait, esp with expectation
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obsolete (tr) to wait for in order to ambush
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
- awaiter noun
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."
Vocabulary lists containing await
Vocabulary from Readings 4, Unit 1
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Vocabulary from Readings 4, Unit 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The windswept golf course’s grass turned brown while officials await a decision on future plans.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
Investors await AI catalysts like robo-taxis, with Tesla’s Austin service and plans for nine cities by mid-2026 seen as key drivers.
From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026
The airman, an unidentified colonel as we write this, climbed into mountainous terrain despite his injuries to escape detection and await a rescue once the U.S. located him.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
Hanley thinks opportunities await commodity investors who understand the connections and can see the downstream impacts before they make headlines.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
“I may, in time. Child, you do not want to run off into the woods at this late hour. Who can say what horrors await out there?”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
