wait up
Britishverb
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to delay going to bed in order to await some event
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informal to halt and pause in order that another person may catch up
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Postpone going to bed in anticipation of someone or something, as in My parents always wait up until I get home, no matter how late it is . [Mid-1800s]
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Stop or pause so that another can catch up, as in Let's wait up for the stragglers , or Don't walk so fast; wait up for me . [ Colloquial ]
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.
Some mothers can wait up to six months for assessment and up to a year for one-to-one treatment, according to a 2024 report by the Maternal Mental Health Alliance.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2025
This year Coachella replaced its first come first-come, first-served system for campers with a reservation-style programme, forcing attendees to wait up to 12 hours in their vehicles in scorching desert temperatures with limited facilities.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2025
She’s been denied a mortgage and several other loans, while many of her employees have had to wait up to two weeks for their paychecks to clear.
From New York Times ● Nov. 18, 2023
In some cases, migrants may wait up to a decade for a court date.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2023
For me, this made so much more sense than holding off dinner or having the girls wait up sleepily for a hug.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
