Showing results for "waiting"

• present participle of wait.

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); see 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

See Examples For:

waiting

Students are still waiting for jobs to arrive.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

But as the semifinals kick off on Tuesday, the tournament—along with the entirety of Spain—is still waiting for the Lamine Yamal game.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

“I’ve always wanted to see one,” Shock said while waiting in line.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

The BBC revealed some areas of England are now shutting their NHS waiting lists because they cannot cope with demand.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

“I was hanging out with a friend who lives near here. And now I’m just waiting for my Uber.”

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Related Words

• accessible
• apt
• handy
• qualified
• ripe