waiting room

American  

[wey-ting room, room] / ˈweɪ tɪŋ ˌrum, ˌrʊm /

noun

waiting rooms plural

1. a room for the use of persons waiting, as in a railroad station or a physician's office.

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waiting room British  

noun

1. a room in which people may wait, as at a railway station, doctor's or dentist's office, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• waiting rooms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of waiting room

First recorded in 1675–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

waiting room

Sitting in the waiting room, mentally preparing for an MRI, Maxine opens a browser and searches, “BREAST CANCER.”

From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026

The waiting room outside the hepatology clinic at Rajagiri Hospital in Kochi is suspended between hope and despair.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026

Family members and friends stood around restlessly in the waiting room, where a hospital worker tried to maintain order in the chaos.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

At this point, I usually sit in the waiting room biting my nails, bracing for the results.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026

I take in the waiting room to my right, forcing my eyes over every faded plastic chair, into every corner, but I don’t see them.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• foyer
• reception room
• vestibule