waited; waiting; waits
1
: to stay in place in expectation of : await
waited the result of the advertisement—
W. M. Thackeray
W. M. Thackeraywait your turn
2
: to delay serving (a meal)
3
: to serve food and drinks to the people sitting at : to act as a server for
wait tables
1
a
: to remain stationary in readiness or expectation
wait for a train
b
: to pause for another to catch up
—usually used with up
2
a
: to look forward expectantly
just waiting to see his rival lose
b
: to hold back expectantly
waiting for a chance to strike
3
: to serve at meals
—usually used in such phrases as wait on tables or wait on table
4
a
: to be ready and available
slippers waiting by the bed
b
: to remain temporarily neglected or unrealized
the chores can wait
Can wait on mean 'to wait for'?: Usage Guide
American dialectologists have evidence showing wait on (sense 3) to be more a Southern than a Northern form in speech. Handbook writers universally denigrate wait on and prescribe wait for in writing. Our evidence from printed sources does not show a regional preference; it does show that the handbooks' advice is not based on current usage.
settlement of the big problems still waited on Russia
—Time
Time
I couldn't make out … whether Harper was waiting on me for approval
—E. B. White
E. B. White
the staggering bill that waited on them at the white commissary downtown
—Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou
One reason for the continuing use of wait on may lie in its being able to suggest protracted or irritating waits better than wait for.
for two days I've been waiting on weather
—Charles A. Lindbergh
Charles A. Lindbergh
the boredom of black Africans sitting there, waiting on the whims of a colonial bureaucracy
—Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
doesn't care to sit around waiting on a House that's virtually paralyzed
—Glenn A. Briere
Glenn A. Briere
Wait on is less common than wait for, but if it seems natural, there is no reason to avoid it.
1
a
: a hidden or concealed position
—used chiefly in the expression lie in wait
b
: a state or attitude of watchfulness and expectancy
anchored in wait for early morning fishing—Fred Zimmer
Fred Zimmer2
a
: one of a band of public musicians in England employed to play for processions or public entertainments
b(1)
: one of a group who serenade for gratuities especially at the Christmas season
(2)
: a piece of music by such a group
3
: an act or period of waiting
a long wait in line
Synonyms
Examples of wait in a Sentence
Verb
I hate waiting in long lines.
They waited at the train station together.
You should have waited a little longer. He showed up right after you left.
I don't have time to wait around. If he's not here in five minutes, I'm leaving.
She waited behind after class to talk to the professor.
I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. How may I help you?
I waited and waited but he never showed up.
Wait! Don't start the engine yet.
We waited for the sun to set before starting the fire.
I know she was happy when I lost my job. She was waiting to see me fail.
Noun
there was a long wait for the manager to come and help us
Recent Examples on the WebUSA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
Researchers have studied kids with HS in the US and Europe and found that those with nodules in their genital area take longer to get a diagnosis, in part because children wait longer to tell their parents or doctor about their symptoms, Dr. Porter says.
—Tatiana Walk-Morris, SELF, 22 Apr. 2024
While Ukraine waited, its troops were forced to withdraw from Avdiivka, a strategic town in the east that Ukrainian forces had defended from Russian occupation for a decade.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 21 Apr. 2024
Young Bowens kept waiting for outdoor brands to come out with a pack for plus-size people.
—Daniel Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 21 Apr. 2024
She was shocked when Bowie didn’t even wait to get back to the privacy of the hotel before beginning the dalliance.
—Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024
On Saturday, more than 250 people lined up along the sidewalk waiting for Dearborn Music's doors to open, sitting in foldable lawn chairs and wrapped in thick blankets with hot beverages in hand to warm their freezing fingers in the early-morning upper-30s temperatures.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 20 Apr. 2024
The anticipation had subsided since his storybook debut, his place as USC’s next starting quarterback all but assured after years spent patiently waiting.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Photo : Sinna Nasseri Sipping Bubbly Glasses at Barclays Center waiting to be filled with Champagne and cocktails.
—John Vorwald, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2024
Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
The long wait infuriated stuck motorists and ramped up pressure on law enforcement for punishment.
—Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024
Ultimately, the family ditched the wait lists and created their own form of weekly programming for Aidan and others in the community.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Fans suffered through a series of unfortunate events—hours- and days-long wait times for tickets, waves of bots purchasing and upselling tickets, and unpredictable prices—only for many of them to end up without seats.
—Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
The Camarillo family’s restaurant quickly became the first Race Street Village restaurant with long lines and up an hour’s wait for menudo, chilaquiles, chicken tamales or cafe de olla.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2024
And in what could be a shocking development to many, the IRS has cut wait times on its phone lines to 3 minutes, according to the U.S. Department of Treasury's release Monday.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 15 Apr. 2024
The espresso machine features a dual heat system, so there's no wait time between brewing the espresso and frothing your milk.
—Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
During the three-month period between January to March 2023, there were more than 14,300 Black people in need of kidney transplants whose wait times were changed, averaging out to a two year time difference.
—Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 4 Apr. 2024
Verb
The Libra moon has a creative download waiting for you.
—USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
Researchers have studied kids with HS in the US and Europe and found that those with nodules in their genital area take longer to get a diagnosis, in part because children wait longer to tell their parents or doctor about their symptoms, Dr. Porter says.
—Tatiana Walk-Morris, SELF, 22 Apr. 2024
While Ukraine waited, its troops were forced to withdraw from Avdiivka, a strategic town in the east that Ukrainian forces had defended from Russian occupation for a decade.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 21 Apr. 2024
Young Bowens kept waiting for outdoor brands to come out with a pack for plus-size people.
—Daniel Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 21 Apr. 2024
She was shocked when Bowie didn’t even wait to get back to the privacy of the hotel before beginning the dalliance.
—Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024
On Saturday, more than 250 people lined up along the sidewalk waiting for Dearborn Music's doors to open, sitting in foldable lawn chairs and wrapped in thick blankets with hot beverages in hand to warm their freezing fingers in the early-morning upper-30s temperatures.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 20 Apr. 2024
The anticipation had subsided since his storybook debut, his place as USC’s next starting quarterback all but assured after years spent patiently waiting.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Photo : Sinna Nasseri Sipping Bubbly Glasses at Barclays Center waiting to be filled with Champagne and cocktails.
—John Vorwald, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2024
Noun
Leases for the marina shops and other facilities will provide about $1.9 million and the rest is from fees charged for parking and to be on the slip rental wait list, inspections and other services.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
The long wait infuriated stuck motorists and ramped up pressure on law enforcement for punishment.
—Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024
Ultimately, the family ditched the wait lists and created their own form of weekly programming for Aidan and others in the community.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Fans suffered through a series of unfortunate events—hours- and days-long wait times for tickets, waves of bots purchasing and upselling tickets, and unpredictable prices—only for many of them to end up without seats.
—Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
The Camarillo family’s restaurant quickly became the first Race Street Village restaurant with long lines and up an hour’s wait for menudo, chilaquiles, chicken tamales or cafe de olla.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2024
And in what could be a shocking development to many, the IRS has cut wait times on its phone lines to 3 minutes, according to the U.S. Department of Treasury's release Monday.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 15 Apr. 2024
The espresso machine features a dual heat system, so there's no wait time between brewing the espresso and frothing your milk.
—Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
During the three-month period between January to March 2023, there were more than 14,300 Black people in need of kidney transplants whose wait times were changed, averaging out to a two year time difference.
—Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wait.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near wait
Cite this Entry
“Wait.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wait. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wait
2 of 2 noun1
a
: a hidden position : ambush
—used chiefly in the expression lie in wait
b
: a state of watchful expectation
2
: an act or period of waiting
a long wait in line
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