Pronunciation: /weɪt/

Definitions of wait

noun the act of staying in one place or remaining inactive in expectation of something

Example Sentences

A1 I hate the wait at the doctor's office.

A2 The long wait for the bus made me late for work.

B1 There was a short wait for our table at the restaurant.

B2 The wait for the results of the test was nerve-wracking.

C1 The wait for the approval of the project seemed endless.

C2 After the long wait, the announcement finally came.

verb to stay in one place or remain inactive in expectation of something

Example Sentences

A1 I wait for the bus every morning.

A2 She waits for her friend to arrive before starting the movie.

B1 The doctor asked me to wait in the waiting room.

B2 I can't wait to see you again.

C1 After years of waiting, her dream finally came true.

C2 I waited patiently for the results of the experiment.

Examples of wait in a Sentence

formal Please wait for the next available representative to assist you.

informal Just hang on a sec, I'll be right back.

slang Hold your horses, I'll get to it in a minute.

figurative Patience is key, good things come to those who wait.

Grammatical Forms of wait

past tense

waited

plural

waits

comparative

more patient

superlative

most patient

present tense

wait

future tense

will wait

perfect tense

have waited

continuous tense

is waiting

singular

waits

positive degree

patient

infinitive

to wait

gerund

waiting

participle

waiting

Origin and Evolution of wait

First Known Use: 1200 year
Language of Origin: Old North French
Story behind the word: The word 'wait' originated from the Old North French word 'waitier' which means to watch or guard.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'wait' evolved to also mean to stay in one place in expectation of something or someone, shifting from a sense of guarding to anticipation.