expect
Americanverb (used with object)
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expects,
present (3rd person singular)
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expected,
past participle, past
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expecting
present participle
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to look forward to; regard as likely to happen; anticipate the occurrence or the coming of.
I expect to read it. I expect him later. She expects that they will come.
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to look for with reason or justification.
We expect obedience.
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Informal. to suppose or surmise; guess.
I expect that you are tired from the trip.
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to anticipate the birth of (one's child).
Paul and Sylvia expect their second very soon.
idioms
verb
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to regard as probable or likely; anticipate
he expects to win
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to look forward to or be waiting for
we expect good news today
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to decide that (something) is requisite or necessary; require
the boss expects us to work late today
Usage
This sense of expect ( I expect you went with them. I expect you want to leave now. ) is encountered in the speech of educated people but seldom in their writing.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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expectednessnoun
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expecternoun
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overexpectverb
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preexpectverb (used with object)
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expectableadjective
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unexpectableadjective
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unexpectingadjective
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expectablyadverb
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expectedlyadverb
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expectinglyadverb
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unexpectablyadverb
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unexpectinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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expectsimple
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expectssimple
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have expectedperfect
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has expectedperfect
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am expectingprogressive
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are expectingprogressive
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is expectingprogressive
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have been expectingperfect progressive
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has been expectingperfect progressive
Past
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expectedsimple
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had expectedperfect
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was expectingprogressive
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were expectingprogressive
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had been expectingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of expect
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin ex(s)pectāre “to look out for, await,” equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + spectāre “to look at,” frequentative of specere; see spectacle
Explanation
If you expect something, you think it’s going to happen. If you got up at 4 in the morning, you can expect to fall asleep earlier than usual tonight. If you expect (or anticipate) something, you are fairly sure that it is coming, though you might not be totally certain. You might expect to graduate from a certificate program on time, barring unforeseen events that prevent you from going to class. If you say, simply, “I’m expecting,” people will assume you’re pregnant. Someone disappointed in you might shake his head and say, "I expected more from you."
Vocabulary lists containing expect
"Eleven"
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List 5
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Think
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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:
Then again, if you expect that, you might not own any stocks at all.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
“With short positioning stretched and Fed pricing aggressive, we expect the 10Y Treasury yield to consolidate in a 4.90-5.10% range for now.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Yet, we shouldn't expect Tuchel to completely let go of the handbrake just yet.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
In Virginia, buyers should expect the condo association to provide potential buyers with a booklet disclosing any pending lawsuits, any planned big repairs and the amount of financial reserves they have, Colgan said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
Well what did he expect, if he wouldn’t let his pack-brother wake him up?
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Kim expects chip exports to jump 175% this year and 41% next year, with long-term agreements by semiconductor companies likely to help the country sustain strong exports and current-account surpluses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The analyst expects the South Korean state utility operator’s profit to decline sharply in 2H, with higher crude oil and liquefied natural gas prices weighing on its bottom line.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Nomura expects the Riksbank to raise rates in March 2027, although sees the risk of this being brought forward to November or December, depending on data, guidance and minutes from Thursday’s Riksbank meeting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Citi expects the chip industry boom to lift nominal GDP growth to 25% this year, the strongest since 1981.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
“He sends me these creatures, then expects me to make something of them,” he remarked to no one in particular.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Voting takes place from 18 to 20 September, with no surprise wins expected.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Because equities are riskier than fixed income, investors demand a higher expected return to incur that greater risk — regardless of where interest rates may stand.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
On Friday, Disney said “a number” of Character.AI’s technical team are expected to come to Disney with Anand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The head of Asia Pacific says risks are tilted towards the policy rate reaching a lower peak than expected, given Japan’s planned sales tax cut in April could reduce inflation to very low levels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The words that blast through the phone at me are awful, but also exactly what I expected.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
“At this point, I’m not expecting a huge repatriation of money coming from U.S. Treasurys to Japan,” said Norihiro Yamaguchi, lead Japan economist at Oxford Economics in Tokyo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Kelly Dalley knew her baby had a heart condition and was expecting to travel from Dundee to Glasgow for surgery after she was born.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
"People like me have been expecting this for a long time," the 62-year-old told AFP on Tuesday, saying security discussions surrounding AI have not been adequately robust.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
"I'm not expecting, by all means, anywhere near the full pipeline to be delivered in any market, but equally in Glasgow and Edinburgh," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Our new science teacher had finally made some things fall into place for me, but I was far from top of my class, and I didn’t want anyone expecting miracles.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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.
