hurry up and wait
phrase
US, informal
—used to describe a situation in which one is forced to spend a lot of time waiting
My father says that all he did in the army was hurry up and wait.
—sometimes used as a noun phraseTraveling often involves a lot of hurry up and wait.
Cite this Entry
“Hurry up and wait.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hurry%20up%20and%20wait. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
