Definition of await
transitive verb
1a : to wait for We are awaiting his arrival. await a decisionb : 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 forturne awaited. — Tom Marvel
3 obsolete : attend
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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 of await from the Web
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While WNKU will switch to religious content soon, a different fate awaits its Middletown affiliate.
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Great deals await shoppers willing to forgo the latest features in favor of last year’s models. _
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Jaros was in a pre-classification area, awaiting a morning bond hearing.
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He has been held in the DuPage County since then, awaiting trial.
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That's right, my friends, your perfect summer basket bag awaits.
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OSTP is not alone across the government in awaiting a new crop of key managers.
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Scientists have been awaiting the imminent break of the Delaware-sized iceberg for months, and The Post's Chris Mooney has the latest update. --
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Autopsy results showed that Davion Henderson drowned, according to Porter County Coroner Chuck Harris, who is awaiting results of a toxicology report, which could take several weeks.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'await.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of await
Middle English, from Anglo-French aweiter, aguaiter, from a- (from Latin ad-) + guaiter to watch — more at wait
AWAIT Defined for English Language Learners
await
playDefinition of await for English Language Learners
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: to wait for (someone or something)
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: to be ready or waiting for (someone or something)
AWAIT Defined for Kids
await
playDefinition of await for Students
awaited
;awaiting
1 : to wait for await a train
2 : to be ready or waiting for Dinner was awaiting them on their arrival.
Learn More about await
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See words that rhyme with await Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for await Spanish Central: Translation of await Nglish: Translation of await for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of await for Arabic speakers
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