wait

1 of 2

verb

waited; waiting; waits

transitive verb

1
: to stay in place in expectation of : await
waited the result of the advertisementW. M. Thackeray
wait 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

intransitive verb

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
5
: pause, stop
used to preface an interjected question, correction, etc.
"Wait, Mom. Wait. What did you say?" I said. "He left you what?"Frederick Busch
So wait, what's so bad about wanting to eat right?Annie Daly
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
I couldn't make out … whether Harper was waiting on me for approval E. B. White
the staggering bill that waited on them at the white commissary downtown 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
the boredom of black Africans sitting there, waiting on the whims of a colonial bureaucracy Vincent Canby
doesn't care to sit around waiting on a House that's virtually paralyzed Glenn A. Briere

Wait on is less common than wait for, but if it seems natural, there is no reason to avoid it.

wait

2 of 2

noun

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 fishingFred Zimmer
2
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
Phrases
wait on or less commonly wait upon
1
a
: to attend as a servant
b
: to supply the wants of : serve
2
: to make a formal call on
3
: to wait for
wait up
: to delay going to bed : stay up

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 Web
Verb
Some frustrated Russians did not even wait for the Sunday protest and instead expressed their anger as soon as voting started on Friday, by setting fire to polling stations or ballots or dumping liquid into ballot boxes. Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2024 Patients must wait 24 hours after their first visit to obtain the pills or have a procedure. The Enquirer, 17 Mar. 2024 Knowing the stakes, all Winn could do for most of camp was wait. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024 Thursday March 14: The Metro Nashville Police Department said Thursday afternoon that investigators are waiting for the release of Strain's phone and Apple Watch records in the hopes of tracking him down. Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024 The search is on for wide umbrellas under which fans can wait. Catherine Porter, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2024 Swift's acoustic set has become one of the most anticipated moments of the Eras Tour as Swifties (in the stadium and watching at home) eagerly wait to hear which songs the singer will perform at the show. Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024 The law says election officials must wait until polls close at 7:30 p.m. to begin counting and reporting results of ballots cast during early voting. Observer Staff Reports, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2024 And there is no reason to wait for their inevitable inquiry about why they weren’t invited. Elaine Welteroth, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024
Noun
Back then, the only way to check wait times was to look at the physical signs outside attractions. Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024 But this rebuild has been brutal and sometimes illogical, and there’s no guarantee (much less overt promise) that whatever follows this will be worth the wait. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 Ariana Grande's red carpet return was worth the wait. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 But supporters countered that uninsured individuals tend to seek routine care in the emergency room because they cannot be turned away, which potentially makes Maryland’s ER wait times — among the worst in the nation — even worse. Katie Shepherd, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 William Shakespeare’s The Tempest April 11-May 4, 2025 Marooned on an enchanting, yet ecologically fragile island, the exiled sorcerer Prospero waits, consumed by thoughts of revenge. David Catlin, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024 After the technical issue was resolved, Republican voters had a short wait time of a couple minutes to get signed in. Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2024 The Miami-Dade elections department is posting wait times for each site on its website. Max Greenwood, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 This background can save you a lot of wait time, lessen the risk of miscommunication, and improve your chances of first-time approval of your claim or a favorable appeal result. David Stubblefield, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 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.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French waiter, guaiter to watch over, await, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German wahta watch, Old English wæccan to watch — more at wake

Noun

Middle English waite watchman, observation, from Anglo-French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German wahta watch

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of wait was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near wait

Cite this Entry

“Wait.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wait. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wait

1 of 2 verb
1
a
: to remain in place in readiness or expectation of something : await
wait your turn
wait for orders
b
: to pause to let someone catch up
hey, wait for me
2
: postpone, delay
wait dinner for a guest
3
: to serve as a waiter or waitress
wait tables
wait at a luncheon

wait

2 of 2 noun
1
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

More from Merriam-Webster on wait

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