waited; waiting; waits
1
: to stay in place in expectation of : await
waited the result of the advertisement—
W. M. Thackeray
W. M. Thackeraywait your turn
2
: to delay serving (a meal)
3
: to serve food and drinks to the people sitting at : to act as a server for
wait tables
1
a
: to remain stationary in readiness or expectation
wait for a train
b
: to pause for another to catch up
—usually used with up
2
a
: to look forward expectantly
just waiting to see his rival lose
b
: to hold back expectantly
waiting for a chance to strike
3
: to serve at meals
—usually used in such phrases as wait on tables or wait on table
4
a
: to be ready and available
slippers waiting by the bed
b
: to remain temporarily neglected or unrealized
the chores can wait
Can wait on mean 'to wait for'?: Usage Guide
American dialectologists have evidence showing wait on (sense 3) to be more a Southern than a Northern form in speech. Handbook writers universally denigrate wait on and prescribe wait for in writing. Our evidence from printed sources does not show a regional preference; it does show that the handbooks' advice is not based on current usage.
settlement of the big problems still waited on Russia
—Time
Time
I couldn't make out … whether Harper was waiting on me for approval
—E. B. White
E. B. White
the staggering bill that waited on them at the white commissary downtown
—Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou
One reason for the continuing use of wait on may lie in its being able to suggest protracted or irritating waits better than wait for.
for two days I've been waiting on weather
—Charles A. Lindbergh
Charles A. Lindbergh
the boredom of black Africans sitting there, waiting on the whims of a colonial bureaucracy
—Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
doesn't care to sit around waiting on a House that's virtually paralyzed
—Glenn A. Briere
Glenn A. Briere
Wait on is less common than wait for, but if it seems natural, there is no reason to avoid it.
1
a
: a hidden or concealed position
—used chiefly in the expression lie in wait
b
: a state or attitude of watchfulness and expectancy
anchored in wait for early morning fishing—Fred Zimmer
Fred Zimmer2
a
: one of a band of public musicians in England employed to play for processions or public entertainments
b(1)
: one of a group who serenade for gratuities especially at the Christmas season
(2)
: a piece of music by such a group
3
: an act or period of waiting
a long wait in line
Synonyms
Examples of wait in a Sentence
Verb
I hate waiting in long lines.
They waited at the train station together.
You should have waited a little longer. He showed up right after you left.
I don't have time to wait around. If he's not here in five minutes, I'm leaving.
She waited behind after class to talk to the professor.
I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. How may I help you?
I waited and waited but he never showed up.
Wait! Don't start the engine yet.
We waited for the sun to set before starting the fire.
I know she was happy when I lost my job. She was waiting to see me fail.
Noun
there was a long wait for the manager to come and help us
Recent Examples on the Web
Lily Kepner, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024
Ohnaka’s team used the Very Large Telescope Interferometer to study the star in 2005 and 2007, but the researchers waited years for one of the telescope’s second-generation instruments, GRAVITY, to be developed before an image of the star was possible.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
Trisha Mukherjee, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2024
The Singapore Changi Airport boasts shorter wait times for security and baggage claims and an impressive 4.7 stars out of five for its Google review.
—Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wait 
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.
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Verb
On Tuesday, Longhorns waited sometimes up to an hour to cast their ballot, many of them for the first time, and many with profound hope.
—Lily Kepner, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024
Ohnaka’s team used the Very Large Telescope Interferometer to study the star in 2005 and 2007, but the researchers waited years for one of the telescope’s second-generation instruments, GRAVITY, to be developed before an image of the star was possible.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
Despite the dragging wait times and the pervasive hopelessness, many of the 170 Afghan journalists in exile in Pakistan continue to speak out against the Taliban.
—Trisha Mukherjee, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2024
The Singapore Changi Airport boasts shorter wait times for security and baggage claims and an impressive 4.7 stars out of five for its Google review.
—Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wait
Dictionary Entries Near wait
Cite this Entry
“Wait.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wait. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wait
2 of 2 noun1
a
: a hidden position : ambush
—used chiefly in the expression lie in wait
b
: a state of watchful expectation
2
: an act or period of waiting
a long wait in line
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