expect
Americanverb (used with object)
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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:
Despite the absence of signs that wage growth is accelerating, investors expect the ECB to raise its key interest rate for a second time since the conflict began when policymakers next meet in September.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Most investors expect the Fed to hold rates at 3.50-3.75 percent for the fifth straight meeting, according to CME's FedWatch monitoring tool -- but bets on a rate-hike have been rising.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
“Today’s lawsuit continues the absurdity and irrationality that the industry has come to expect from the defunct organization formerly known as the HFPA.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
"If it demonstrates that culturally contextualised storytelling can materially increase engagement in India, then expect F-1, the NBA, the NFL, the UFC, La Liga and the Premier League to deepen their India-first content strategies."
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
"I expect you might be willing to do me a favor and eat a cookie or two," she said to Sam.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
Mondelez now expects at least 2% growth in organic net revenue, compared with its previous forecast of flat to 2% growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Becca expects to inherit a significant amount of property from her parents, which she wants to protect, so in the event of a split, each will walk away with what they started with.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Mosley said the company expects “durable long-term demand for mass capacity storage” as artificial-intelligence drives the creation of more data.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The company expects to open up to 26 restaurants in the fiscal year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
He told me that Yamu-nedjeh expects him to work harder and faster if he knows he will be freed when the job is done.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
The deal with Russia’s Arnest Management is expected to complete during the second half of 2026.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The redundancy program is expected to meaningfully reduce BMW's costs by 2028, the source said, with the bulk of departures coming next year.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
It caused light to moderate shaking at an intensity expected to cause, at most, very light damage, according to the USGS.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
ASM International said orders for its tools were strong in the first half and that it expected robust bookings to continue in the second half.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
She stared defiantly toward Jonah, as if she expected him to spring to her side, to link arms and agree: “Yeah! What she said!”
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Analysts surveyed by the Swiss agency AWP had on average been expecting a profit of $2.38 billion and revenue of $13.2 billion.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
The company is expecting fuel prices to remain elevated at an average of $3.49 in the current quarter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The defeat was Hearts' first at home in 15 months and supporters can be forgiven for expecting more from a side assembled with the aid of lauded recruitment tool Jamestown Analytics.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Have you ever gotten a medical bill that you weren’t expecting?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
True optimism, as Agatha Swanburne defined it, is the habit of expecting happy endings in a way that keeps one cheerfully working to make them come true.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
