1
as in eager
having or showing signs of eagerly awaiting something
expectant crowds gathered at the spot where the President was scheduled to make an appearance
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pregnant
containing unborn young within the body
a medication that should not be taken by expectant women without permission from their doctors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in candidate
one who seeks an office, honor, position, or award
divinity students who were all expectants for a curacy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expectant
Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
The expectant couple, along with several children and loved ones, walked with anticipation into the grass at the edge of the El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa, California – where wild grasses turn golden in the fall, making a scenic backdrop – to reveal their baby’s gender.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Michael D. Snediker, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2025
In the end, this expectant father learned a valuable — and slightly embarrassing — lesson: sometimes, the best thing to say during a poignant moment is nothing at all.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for expectant
Adjective
On his Instagram Stories, Cole posted a picture of the expectant parents, simply adding three red heart emojis.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
The expectant couple, along with several children and loved ones, walked with anticipation into the grass at the edge of the El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa, California – where wild grasses turn golden in the fall, making a scenic backdrop – to reveal their baby’s gender.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Noun
Meniscus augur & hour of errors as the mercury rag spills its rings
from his last good pore, his teeth shaped in greenhouse suet or little
expectant pots of orchid balm in snow.
—Michael D. Snediker, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2025
In the end, this expectant father learned a valuable — and slightly embarrassing — lesson: sometimes, the best thing to say during a poignant moment is nothing at all.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for expectant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expectant
Adjective
-
Fury’s personal preference is not known but his delight at returning to America at the weekend points to him being eager to fight there again.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Of course, any soccer fan will be eager to win the World Cup tickets, but the other Verizon Shine experiences on the docket are also incredibly covetable.—
Hannah Chubb,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Brianna, who was 9 months pregnant at the time of the incident, gave birth four days before her arraignment, her attorney said, ClickonDetroit reported.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
-
Bardem plays the sociopathic ex-convict, Max Cady, recently released after a 17-year stint for killing his pregnant wife.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
None of the Senate candidates surpassed the 50% threshold required to win, and Ossoff and Warnock headed to a January 2021 runoff against their Republican opponents.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
Burnham was promptly selected as Labour’s candidate, making Thursday’s by-election perhaps the most consequential in British history.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Now a mother of two, Diana spent much of the celebration in 1985 holding Harry while keeping a watchful eye on her eldest son.—
Elle Meier,
InStyle,
13 June 2026
-
In either case, the meteors literally bring their far-distant, otherwise-inaccessible parent bodies down to Earth, where watchful scientists can better study them.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
But the Democratic hopeful firmly maintained his innocence in an interview with The Star and has vowed to remain in the race.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
-
The two candidates topped a crowded field of gubernatorial hopefuls in the June 2 primary, earning them the opportunity to face-off in the general election.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Siskel panned it, but Ebert gave it an enthusiastic thumbs-up.—
Linnea Wicklund,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
-
His soft opening events have brought in enthusiastic batters and sports fans.—
Jenna Thompson
June 18,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
To be eligible for homes, applicants must meet certain criteria, including not owning a home and having a minimum household income of $42,000.—
Kamal Morgan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 June 2026
-
While some lenders offer home equity loans to borrowers with fair credit, applicants with higher credit scores typically have an easier time getting approved for a loan, and will generally qualify for lower interest rates and better loan terms, too.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Now, researchers have discovered that this anticipatory activation is powered by pockets of glycogen in POMC neurons.—
Isabella Backman,
Hartford Courant,
12 June 2026
-
The younger 10-month-old infants showed no evidence of anticipatory predictions in either condition.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expectant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expectant. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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