What does awaited mean?
Awaited is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'await', meaning to have waited for or been in expectation of a person, event, or outcome. It can also function as an adjective describing something that has been keenly or long expected. While the plain verb is somewhat formal — everyday speakers more often say they 'waited for' something — the adjectival sense is ubiquitous in headlines and advertising, where phrases such as 'long-awaited' and 'eagerly awaited' signal that a product, announcement, or event has been anticipated with excitement. The word carries connotations of suspense and anticipation, sometimes tinged with impatience. Its roots lie in medieval Anglo-Norman usage connected with watching and lying in wait, giving it a subtle historical link to vigilance. Awaited remains a versatile word for expressing both patient expectation and heightened anticipation.
Past tense and past participle of 'await': to have waited for or been in expectation of someone or something.
"He awaited her arrival on the platform, scanning every carriage."
More formal than 'waited'; used especially in written and literary contexts.
Expected or anticipated, particularly after a notable delay or period of suspense.
"The long-awaited decision was finally published."
Almost always paired with modifiers like 'long-' or 'eagerly' in modern usage.
The most famous 'long-awaited' things in history often took decades to arrive — which makes 'awaited' one of English's favourite words for delayed gratification.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of awaited
'Await' entered Middle English through medieval French, deriving ultimately from a Germanic-rooted word meaning to watch or keep guard, the same source as the ordinary verb 'wait'. Originally it could suggest lying in wait or keeping watch over someone, before settling into its modern sense of waiting in expectation. Its derivatives — awaiting and awaited — followed naturally as the verb became established in English.
Word family
Usage notes
In everyday speech, 'waited (for)' is far more common than the verb 'awaited', which carries a slightly formal register. The adjectival use, especially in 'long-awaited' or 'eagerly awaited', is extremely frequent in journalism and marketing.
Don't confuse with
'Await' is transitive and takes its object directly (she awaited the results), whereas 'wait' is usually used with 'for' (she waited for the results); in the passive/adjectival sense, only 'awaited' appears in phrases like 'long-awaited'.