Synonyms of wait

wait 1 of 2

verb

ˈwāt 

as in to stay

to remain in place in readiness or expectation of something

please wait here, and we'll seat you shortly

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stay
• linger
• await
• remain
• bide
• hold on
• sit tight
• expect
• hold one's breath
• bide one's time
• hang around
• stick around
• cool one's heels
• stand by
• tarry
• anticipate
• watch (for)

wait

2 of 2

noun

as in delay

an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business

there was a long wait for the manager to come and help us

Synonyms & Similar Words

• delay
• pause
• holdup
• detention
• postponement
• setback
• hesitation
• deferral
• deferment
• holding pattern
• lag
• respite
• detainment
• holdback
• slowdown
• reprieve
• foot-dragging

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rush
• haste
• dispatch
• promptness
• promptitude

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wait

Verb

Experts say providers should raise perimenopause with patients in their 30s and 40s rather than waiting for symptoms to become severe. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 July 2026

Many women wait years to seek care because perimenopause symptoms are often dismissed by physicians and misunderstood by patients themselves. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026

Noun

Alanna Schermerhorn-Wallace confronted Colt directly about watching her brother’s final moments on surveillance video, while oldest sister Lilianah Ahmed tearfully recalled the agonizing wait to learn whether Mason had survived. — Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 24 July 2026

After the April 30 execution of 70-year-old James Ernest Hitchcock for the 1976 murder of 13-year-old Cindy Driggers in Winter Garden, Florida, the teen's cousin talked to reporters about the five-decade wait for justice. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 24 July 2026

Phrases Containing wait

• wait on
• wait upon