expect
/ɪkˈspɛkt/ verb
Forms expects expecting expected expectest expectedst expecteth
- verb (ambitransitive) To predict or believe that something will happen “when you least expect it”
- verb To consider obligatory or required.
- verb To consider reasonably due. “My parents expected too much of me when I was in college.”
- verb (continuous aspect only, of a woman or couple) To be pregnant, to consider a baby due. “We are expecting our third in June.”
- verb (obsolete, transitive) To wait for; to await.
- verb (obsolete, intransitive) To wait; to stay.
Synonyms
anticipate hope look for bargain for call for demand want wish await abide attend bide hold up keep remain stay tarry tend wait wait on ask require look have a bun in the oven bear carry gestate
Etymology
From Latin expectāre, infinitive form of exspectō (“look out for, await, expect”), from ex (“out”) + spectō (“look at”), frequentative of speciō (“see”).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To wait for; to await. [Obs.]
- verb To look for (mentally); to look forward to, as to something that is believed to be about to happen or come; to have a previous apprehension of, whether of good or evil; to look for with some confidence; to anticipate; --often followed by an infinitive, sometimes by a clause (with, or without, that); as I expect to receive wages; I expect that the troops will be defeated. "Good: I will expect you." Shak. "Expecting thy reply." Shak.
- verb To wait; to stay. [Obs.] Sandys.
- noun Expectation. [Obs.] Shak.
Etymology [L. expectatum, to look out for, await, expect; ex + out spectare to look at. See Spectacle.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “expect”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details