expect
Americanverb (used with object)
-
expects,
present (3rd person singular)
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expected,
past participle, past
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expecting
present participle
-
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:
The companies expect the transaction to be completed in the first half of 2028, as it’s subject to approval by shareholders and regulators.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
He said it was a "sharp pain" but it "didn't really sting how you'd expect it to".
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Fights over the placement of high-voltage transmission lines are happening across the U.S. as utilities embark on what they expect to be a generational investment in the grid.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
"Unless there is a swift resolution of the Middle East conflict, we expect jet-fuel prices to remain elevated well into 2027," O'Leary said in an earnings statement.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
“Oh my. I expect a full report after dinner, my dearie.”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Ryanair expects a significantly higher fuel bill for its next fiscal year and is looking at potential cost cuts to soften the blow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
The airline expects to carry 214 million passengers in its current fiscal year, up three percent from 2025/26.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
The carrier said it expects fuel prices to remain high "well into 2027" unless there is a "swift resolution" to the conflict.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
The company hit $29 billion in revenue last year and expects around $35 billion this year, fueled in part by work on data centers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
He seems to have forgotten how furious he was when I first came in with Cardan and expects me to forget it, too.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
“It’s kind of egregious,” said Mscichowski, who expected a larger premium or even a cash component to the deal.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
At home, especially, it feels flat and boring, and I never expected to say about Jaissle's Newcastle.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
The commitments include approximately $447.5 billion expected to be incurred before the end of 2030; substantially all the rest is likely to hit between 2031 and 2045.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel had been expected to be called as key witnesses in the upcoming Los Angeles trial.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Angela was looking around—from Katherine to Jonah to Chip—as if she expected one of them to ask another question.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Yet the troop rotations and resupply efforts show that neither side is expecting Oleshky to be a blueprint for lasting respite in the future.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Analysts were expecting $8.21 billion in full-year revenue heading into the print.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
The first round recorded turnout of 23 percent, and election officials were expecting higher participation in the runoff.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
This is not the perfect spiral the Chargers were expecting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
From the look on Ma’s face, I could see she hadn’t been expecting a visit.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
