WAITING Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

waiting 1 of 2

noun

Definition of waiting next

as in delay

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

waiting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of wait

as in staying

to remain in place in readiness or expectation of something please wait here, and we'll seat you shortly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of waiting

Noun

The protocol says that after the syringes of saline and pentobarbital are administered, a team leader signals to the warden and a five-minute waiting period begins. —

ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026 However, Rodgers, like last year, is playing the waiting game and remains a free agent. —

Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026 The games are capped at 15 people, so there’s no waiting an hour to get back on the court. —

Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2026 During the waiting time, more than a few orchids have met an unjust demise, whether through overwatering or underwatering. —

Heather Bien, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2026 Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged during the waiting period. —

David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 3 Apr. 2026 Instead of taking up just a portion of the roughly 3,000-square-foot space, the counter and accompanying waiting area are the main focus, looking not unlike the waiting area at a medical office. —

Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026 Despite the long waiting period, the project has been fully worthwhile, Champagne said. —

Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026 The coverage of the launch was a bit of a waiting game, with a hold resolved before the final 10-minute countdown. —

Ted Johnson, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026

Verb

In the ambulance bay at Elmhurst Hospital, Fire Department emergency workers were waiting for calls. —

Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026 Even so, companies such as Filatex have already cut production by 25% and are waiting for demand to return. —

Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026 But many others like him, and the ships on which they’re stuck, are still waiting. —

Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026 In the winter, the common area is full of families playing board games and billiards, waiting for their turn to make S’mores. —

Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2026 Overall, wome n in the US are waiting until later in life to have children. —

Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026 According to the sheriff's office, the dog was flown to a ballfield where more rescuers were waiting with blankets to dry off and warm up the goldendoodle, who is now safe and comfortable. —

Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026 My mother was in their bed, an hour to the north in a rural corner of the county, waiting and waiting. —

Kate Crane, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026 Given Roman cultural norms, there’s a good chance more phalluses are waiting for them. —

Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waiting

Noun

But outside of the horror community and cult-movie devotees, there’s still ample misunderstanding about what Faces of Death really is — and that’s not likely to be remedied by the arrival of Daniel Goldhaber’s 2026 film, Faces of Death, now hitting theaters after a lengthy postproduction delay.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Diapers may use synthetic musks to create fragrances as well as plastics that contain chemicals such as phthalates and volatile organic compounds, which studies have linked to developmental delays, reproductive harm, endocrine system disruption and cancer.

— Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026