await

verb

ə-ˈwāt 

awaited; awaiting; awaits

transitive verb

1

a

: to wait for

We are awaiting his arrival.

await a decision

b

: to remain in abeyance until

a treaty awaiting ratification

2

: to be in store for

He wonders what awaits him next.

3

obsolete : to lie in wait for

intransitive verb

1

: to stay or be in waiting : wait

The nation awaited as Congress debated the issue.

2

: to be in store

… marched … north to civilization where fame and fortune awaited.

—Tom Marvel

3

obsolete : attend

Synonyms

• anticipate
• expect
• hope (for)
• watch (for)

Examples of await in a Sentence

A crowd of people awaited the train.

We're eagerly awaiting his arrival.

He was arrested and is now in prison awaiting trial.

Her long-awaited new novel is finally being published.

The same fate awaits us all.

Recent Examples on the Web

From there, the passengers often board the Metra to the landing zone set up by the administration near Union Station and await a bed in Chicago’s shelter system. —A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2024

That issue is now awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. —Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 11 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Kids Definition

await

verb

ə-ˈwāt 

1

: to wait for : expect

await a train

2

: to be ready or waiting for

a reward awaits you