wait on

British  

verb

1. to serve at the table of

2. to act as an attendant or servant to

3. archaic to visit

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interjection

1. stop! hold on!

wait on Idioms  

1. Also, wait upon . Serve, minister to, especially for personal needs or in a store or restaurant. For example, Guests at the Inn should not expect to be waited on—they can make their own beds and get their own breakfast . [Early 1500s]

2. Make a formal call on, as in They waited on the ambassador . [c. 1500]

3. Also, wait upon . Await, remain in readiness for, as in We're waiting on their decision to close the school . This usage, a synonym of wait for , dates from the late 1600s but in the mid-1800s began to be criticized by many authorities. However, by the late 1900s it had come into increasingly wider use and is again largely accepted.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wait on

As air traffic controllers struggled to route aircraft around the storms, airspace became heavily congested and many planes due to fly were simply forced to wait on the ground.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

The city, they argue, can’t afford to wait on alternative programs that require study, money and public buy-in that could take years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

I want it so nobody ever has to wait on line ever.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

In other words, the housing market is feeling the blow from rising mortgage rates, as buyers have found another reason to wait on the sidelines.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

Oh, Lucy, Lucy, I cannot be angry with you, nor can I be angry with my friend whose happiness is yours; but I must only wait on hopeless and work.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker