await
Americanverb (used with object)
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awaits,
present (3rd person singular)
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awaited,
past participle, past
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awaiting
present participle
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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)
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awaits,
present (3rd person singular)
-
awaited,
past participle, past
-
awaiting
present participle
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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awaitsimple
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awaitssimple
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have awaitedperfect
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has awaitedperfect
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am awaitingprogressive
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are awaitingprogressive
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is awaitingprogressive
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have been awaitingperfect progressive
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has been awaitingperfect progressive
Past
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awaitedsimple
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had awaitedperfect
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was awaitingprogressive
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were awaitingprogressive
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had been awaitingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
"We will now await further correspondence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government," they said.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Traders also await additional U.S. economic measures against Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
On the second floor, a generous dining space and an open kitchen with marble surfaces, warm-wood cabinetry, and one of the building’s original steel trusses await.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
Posting on social media, he urged citizens to "remain peaceful, patient and patriotic as we await the official outcome from those entrusted with managing the vote".
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
"No need for you to worry about her, little darling. Go on and change. The staff await you in the bathing chamber."
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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
So, a challenging job awaits for new man Matthias Jaissle.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
A network of redwood forest trails awaits 2 miles up the road in Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Preserve.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Some people have a better idea of what awaits them, healthwise, than others.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
I'm numb as Rémy and I walk back to the market entrance, where a rickshaw awaits.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
—Gold prices rose as traders awaited the release of key U.S. inflation data.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 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
But an eagerly awaited debut campaign never reached the heights many expected.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Meanwhile, at a sports hall in Las Rozas de Madrid just outside the capital, the displaced sprawled on camp beds, held their heads in their hands and comforted pets as they awaited news.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Because at that moment, as I turned to go down the hall toward the Dungeon of Deadly Dullness that I was sure awaited me in Room 130 of that school, I was overfilled with misery.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
Meanwhile, Wall Street is awaiting quarterly earnings from AI chip-maker Nvidia on Wednesday.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
It added that returning officers frequently paused proceedings while awaiting instructions from headquarters.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Weber Pierson also previously authored Senate Bill 958, another bill that will help the arena, that is awaiting a vote in the Assembly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
The bill is currently awaiting the signature or veto of Gov. Kathy Hochul.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
For years, I’d literally count the days, awaiting his return from boarding school so we could resume our adventures.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
