Synonyms of anticipate

anticipate

verb

an-ˈti-sə-ˌpāt 

1

as in to expect

to believe in the future occurrence of (something)

I anticipate that we'll be seeing you for New Year's

Synonyms & Similar Words

• expect
• await
• predict
• foresee
• hope (for)
• watch (for)
• look for
• look forward to
• view
• envision
• assume
• rely (on or upon)
• wait (for)
• depend (on or upon)
• envisage
• count (on or upon)
• presume
• contemplate
• foretell
• eye
• presuppose
• bank on
• prophesy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• question
• doubt

2

as in to foresee

to realize or know about beforehand

I anticipated this unhelpful response

Synonyms & Similar Words

• foresee
• predict
• fear
• divine
• envision
• perceive
• dread
• foreknow
• forecast
• envisage
• prevision
• visualize
• foretell
• presage
• forefeel
• prognosticate
• foreshadow
• prophesy
• alert
• discern
• forewarn
• prefigure
• apprehend
• caution
• augur
• preview
• foretoken
• descry

Synonym Chooser

How is the word anticipate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of anticipate are divine, foreknow, and foresee. While all these words mean "to know beforehand," anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens.

the waiter anticipated our every need

How are the words divine and foresee related as synonyms of anticipate?

Divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment.

was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war

When would foreknow be a good substitute for anticipate?

Although the words foreknow and anticipate have much in common, foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation.

if only we could foreknow our own destinies

In what contexts can foresee take the place of anticipate?

The synonyms foresee and anticipate are sometimes interchangeable, but foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience.

economists should have foreseen the recession

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of anticipate

China has used pandas as a diplomatic barometer since Mao Zedong sent a pair to Washington's National Zoo following Richard Nixon's 1972 visit, a gift so anticipated that more than a million people came to see the animals in their first year. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026

One way to deal with stunts is making sure the entire offensive line is communicating and able to anticipate where defensive linemen may end up. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2026

Trump has been down this road enough times to have anticipated defeat. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026

Stardom arrived to a degree Beck and Leigh never could have anticipated. — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026