waiting

American  

[wey-ting] / ˈweɪ tɪŋ /

noun

1. a period of waiting; pause, interval, or delay.

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adjective

1. serving or being in attendance.

   waiting man;

   waiting maid;

   waiting woman.

idioms

1. in waiting, in attendance, as upon a royal personage.

Other Word Forms

• waitingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of waiting

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English (noun); see wait, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Explanation

The act of standing by without acting as you anticipate a future event or time is waiting. Waiting can be agonizing, especially waiting for something vitally important, like election results — or your birthday. The word waiting is a noun used for a kind of action that's characterized by inaction or delay: "Generations of waiting produced no change in a city's discriminatory policies, so citizens planned a protest march." It's also a useful adjective, for things like waiting rooms, waiting lists, and waiting periods. In the old days the word was also used for certain servants, lords or ladies "in waiting" who waited on their employers.

Example Sentences

It has been elected under a promise of improving public services and it will be keen to show it's making a difference - such as in bringing down Wales' huge NHS waiting times.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

"They manage to change your thoughts and make you believe that no one is waiting for you anymore."

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

The former prosecutor, one of Britain’s most unpopular leaders in modern times, has notched some progress in areas like reducing inflation and hospital waiting times.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Many CCRCs, including the university retirement communities I recently wrote about, have years-long waiting lists.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

I do not know how long we stood there in the hallway, waiting, but it seemed like a lifetime.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo

Related Words

• accessible
• apt
• handy
• qualified
• ripe