await

await

verb \ə-ˈwāt\

Definition of AWAIT

transitive verb

1

obsolete : to lie in wait for

2

a : to wait for <awaiting his arrival>

b : to remain in abeyance until <a treaty awaiting ratification>

3

: to be in store for <wonders what awaits him next>

intransitive verb

1

obsolete : attend

2

: to stay or be in waiting : wait

3

: to be in store

Examples of AWAIT

1. A crowd of people awaited the train.
2. We're eagerly awaiting his arrival.
3. He was arrested and is now in prison awaiting trial.
4. Her long-awaited new novel is finally being published.
5. The same fate awaits us all.

Origin of AWAIT

Middle English, from Anglo-French aweiter, aguaiter, from a- (from Latin ad-) + guaiter to watch — more at wait

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to AWAIT

Synonyms

anticipate, expect, hope (for), watch (for)

Related Words

bank on, count (on or upon), depend (on or upon), rely (on or upon), wait (for); envisage, envision, foresee; foretell, predict, prophesy; assume, presume, presuppose; contemplate, eye, view

Near Antonyms

doubt, question

Rhymes with AWAIT

abate, ablate, adnate, aerate, age-mate, agnate, airdate, airfreight, alate, arête, backdate, baldpate, bandmate, baseplate, bedmate, bedplate, berate, birthrate, bistate, bite plate, blank slate, blind date, blue plate, bookplate, breastplate, casemate, castrate, caudate, cell plate, cerate, cheapskate, checkmate, chelate, chordate, citrate, classmate, clavate, cognate, collate, comate, conflate, connate, Cook Strait, cordate, create, cremate, crenate, curate, cut-rate, deadweight, death rate, debate, deflate, delate, dentate, derate, dictate, dilate, disrate, donate, doorplate, downstate, drawplate, elate, end plate, equate, estate, faceplate, falcate, fellate, filtrate, first-rate, fishplate, fixate, flatmate, floodgate, fluxgate, flyweight, folate, formate, frustrate, gelate, gestate, ground state, gyrate, hamate, hastate, headgate, Hell Gate, helpmate, home plate, hot plate, housemate, hydrate, ice-skate, inflate, ingrate, inmate, innate, instate, irate, jailbait, Kuwait, lactate, lapse rate, legate, liftgate, ligate, lightweight, liquate, lobate, locate, lunate, lustrate, lych-gate, lyrate, magnate, makebate, makeweight, mandate, messmate, migrate, misstate, mutate, nameplate, narrate, negate, Newgate, nitrate, notate, nutate, oblate, of late, orate, ornate, ovate, palmate, palpate, peltate, phonate, pinnate, placate, playdate, playmate, plicate, portrait, postdate, predate, prime rate, probate, prolate, pronate, prorate, prostate, prostrate, punctate, pupate, quadrate, rain date, ramate, rebate, red-bait, relate, restate, roommate, rostrate, rotate, saccate, schoolmate, seatmate, sedate, sensate, septate, serrate, shipmate, short weight, slave state, soleplate, soul mate, spectate, spicate, squamate, stagnate, stalemate, stellate, striate, sublate, substrate, sulcate, summate, tailgate, teammate, Tebet, tenth-rate, ternate, terneplate, testate, third-rate, tinplate, to date, toeplate, tollgate, tractate, translate, tristate, truncate, unweight, update, uprate, upstate, V-8, vacate, vallate, valvate, vibrate, virgate, vulgate, whitebait, workmate