What does wait mean?
To wait is to remain in a place, delay an action, or leave a matter unresolved until a person, event, or expected time arrives. The verb is extremely common in everyday English: people wait for buses, instructions, news, results, or a convenient moment to act. “Wait for” usually introduces the person or thing being expected, while “wait until” introduces a time or condition. As a noun, a wait is the act or period of remaining in expectation. The word is flexible without being vague: it can describe a brief pause, a prolonged delay, or a situation in which someone must stand by before an action becomes possible. Although waiting may involve physical stillness, it can also describe mental expectation, especially in expressions such as “waiting for an answer.” In formal writing, “await” often provides a more polished alternative to “wait for.” The word also appears in interjections such as “Wait!” and in idioms including “lie in wait,” “wait and see,” and “keep waiting.” Its historical connection with watching and expectation helps explain why it conveys both patience and attentive anticipation.
To remain in a place, delay an action, or stay in expectation until a person, event, or time occurs.
"I waited until the rain stopped before going out."
“Wait for” is followed by a person, thing, or event; “wait until” is followed by a time or condition. “Await” is a more formal alternative to “wait for.”
An act or period of remaining in expectation, or a delay before something can proceed.
"There was a long wait for the results to be announced."
The plural “waits” is used for separate delays or periods of waiting.
Use the plural when referring to multiple delays or periods of waiting.
"Long waits at the station made us miss the train."
Wait originally meant to watch or lie in wait, so its modern sense still carries an idea of patient, watchful expectation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of wait
The modern English verb entered Middle English as “waiten,” borrowed from Anglo-French “waitier,” a form of Old North French “gaaitier,” meaning “to watch” or “to wait.” Its more distant ancestry is usually traced to Frankish *wahtan and is commonly connected with the Germanic root represented in English by “watch.” The meaning developed from watching or lying in wait to remaining in place until someone arrives or something happens.
Related word forms
How wait is actually used
The word is neutral in register and common in formal and informal English. “Await” is more formal and is normally used transitively, as in “await a reply.” “Wait on” can also mean serve someone or attend to their needs, depending on context.
Easily confused with wait
Wait means to remain or postpone until something happens, whereas weight refers to how heavy something is or the amount of heaviness it has.