wait up
Britishverb
-
to delay going to bed in order to await some event
-
informal to halt and pause in order that another person may catch up
-
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]
-
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.
"Delays are more frequent than last year. I've had to wait up to seven hours for American clients," he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
"Forcing dedicated care workers to wait up to 15 years for settlement, and tying their future to restrictive criteria, will deter much-needed talent from staying in Scotland."
From BBC ● Nov. 22, 2025
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
Families wait up to 18 months to receive services.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 24, 2023
They said they wanted to wait up for her.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
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.
