waiting

American  

[wey-ting] / ˈweɪ tɪŋ /

noun

1. a period of waiting; pause, interval, or delay.

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adjective

1. serving or being in attendance.

   waiting man;

   waiting maid;

   waiting woman.

idioms

1. in waiting, in attendance, as upon a royal personage.

Other Word Forms

• waitingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of waiting

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English (noun); wait, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Explanation

The act of standing by without acting as you anticipate a future event or time is waiting. Waiting can be agonizing, especially waiting for something vitally important, like election results — or your birthday. The word waiting is a noun used for a kind of action that's characterized by inaction or delay: "Generations of waiting produced no change in a city's discriminatory policies, so citizens planned a protest march." It's also a useful adjective, for things like waiting rooms, waiting lists, and waiting periods. In the old days the word was also used for certain servants, lords or ladies "in waiting" who waited on their employers.

Example Sentences

"Sitting in a crowded, general waiting area adds another layer of anxiety," Gemma added.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Delia hopes if she gets enough signatures, she can convince officials to turn one of Glan Clwyd's 24 treatment rooms into a cancer patient-only waiting area.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

The xAI facilities have gone up faster than most data centers because the company has installed natural gas turbines to provide electricity on site, instead of waiting years to connect to the larger electricity grid.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Investors have been waiting for Microsoft’s enormous capital expenditures to turn into growth, and some analysts are saying that moment may be arriving soon.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Piano lessons were a strain, knowing he was waiting for me outside First Methodist.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• accessible
• apt
• handy
• qualified
• ripe