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.
Senior bankers have had to wait up to eight years to collect their bonus in full to make sure the deals they were being rewarded for turned out to be profitable longer term.
From BBC • Oct. 15, 2025
Ms Brewster said that people can wait up to eight years for a diagnosis as it required a laparoscopy, a keyhole surgery procedure, to confirm the condition.
From BBC • Oct. 2, 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
“Don’t you want to wait up for Mom?” he asks.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
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.
