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
- expectable adjective
- expectably adverb
- expectedly adverb
- expectedness noun
- expecter noun
- expectingly adverb
- overexpect verb
- preexpect verb (used with object)
- unexpectable adjective
- unexpectably adverb
- unexpecting adjective
- unexpectingly adverb
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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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.
What’s worse, children are bearing the brunt of these measures—in more ways than you might expect.
From Slate • Apr. 27, 2026
A text message told attendees to expect a more subdued affair described as “a gathering for people who wanted to convene, eat and drink and be with community.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026
Auto executives have said they don’t expect sales to be significantly affected by the conflict unless it continues for months.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
Trump said Friday that Americans should expect to pay higher prices at the pump “for a little while.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 26, 2026
Either way, his presence here is something I didn’t expect and am not prepared to handle.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
