expect the worst

idiom

: to assume that something very bad will happen
We expect the worst when we return home after the storm passes.

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expectorator
expect the worst
expede
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Cite this Entry

“Expect the worst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expect%20the%20worst. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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