wait
verb (used without object)
to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens (often followed by for, till, oruntil ).
waited
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past participleof wait.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof wait.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
waitverb (used without object)to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens (often followed by for, till, oruntil ).
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.
He was in molt, a sketchy splotch of red and black while he waited for his new plumage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Teenage athlete Dennis Castillo spent 28 excruciating hours trapped under the rubble in quake-hit Venezuela, with a beam crushing her left leg as she waited to be rescued.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
Some had waited all afternoon in sweltering heat beneath the scant shade of umbrellas, while others, the best prepared, had set up their telescopes.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
This time I managed to get inside the compound and waited for three hours for the hearing to end.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
It was thick enough to hold a man's weight, but he waited two days, then three, hoping that leads, streaks of open water, would appear.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
