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
-
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:
Meanwhile, the mortgage company, tax assessor and insurer still expect payment from you.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
"I would expect that he'd be back to completely full level of activity very soon."
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal expect an increase to 3.6% for September up from 3.4% in August from the prior year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Climate modelling shows that Scotland can expect hotter, dryer summers and milder, wetter winters by the end of this century.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
You cannot expect to launch yourself out of a clear sky into someone else’s life—and even more so, onto their boat—and hope they do not notice.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Still, the IEA expects supply to decline by 5.8 million barrels a day in 2026.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
The team expects future observations using multiple wavelengths and similarly precise instruments to uncover a wider range of elements in exoplanet atmospheres.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
But voters need to know who Raman is, what her vision is for the city and how she expects to lead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
He currently expects 60 by the end of 2027, down from an earlier target of 68.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Then I say, “Your mom expects us to have a recipe. I don’t want to let her down.”
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
A team of analysts at Jefferies, led by Janardan Menon, wrote in note that while the planned capacity expansion was positive news, it was widely expected.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
The transaction is expected to close in the current quarter or early 2027 and is subject to regulatory approvals, it said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
In particular, the ratios of these elements in a disk are expected to resemble those measured in its central star.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
More than 50,000 Israelis are expected to travel home to cast their ballots, according to the Aid Coalition, a US-based NGO that advocates for Israeli democracy.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
But neither had he expected to be attacked and run out.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
She said she was expecting the sofa push to be one of her toughest challenges yet.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Analysts polled by FactSet were expecting a profit of $4.36 a share on revenue of $1.17 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
They got engaged in August 2024 and in December 2025, Meyer announced she was expecting her third child.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
Markets are currently expecting more rate increases than Goldman strategists, who believe limited pressure from nonfood and energy prices will keep a lid on central bank tightening.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
But Mutti was expecting just such a visit from the authorities, and had thought of everything.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
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.
