To wait (verb) means to stay in a place or delay doing something until a particular time, person, or event arrives. As a noun, a wait is the period of time spent waiting: a long wait, worth the wait.
What Does Wait Mean?
Wait comes from Old North French waitier — meaning "to watch" or "to be on the lookout" — which is of Germanic origin, related to Old High German wahten (to watch). It entered Middle English around the 13th century. The original sense of vigilant watching is still visible in the phrase lie in wait (to hide while watching for someone).
In modern British English, wait is one of the most frequently used verbs at every level, from A2 upwards. It almost always needs a preposition or a to-infinitive after it: you wait for a person or thing, and you wait to do something. Understanding this structure is the key to using the word correctly.
As a noun, wait describes a stretch of time spent waiting. You might have a two-hour wait at the airport, or tell a friend that a good film is worth the wait. The noun is always singular when it refers to a specific stretch of time.
Key Sentence (Study Tip)
Do not wait until the last minute to revise — study a little every day.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level & usage note |
|---|---|
| Please wait here — the doctor will see you soon. | A2 — intransitive, imperative |
| We waited for the bus for nearly twenty minutes. | B1 — wait for + noun phrase |
| She is waiting to hear whether she passed the interview. | B1 — wait to + infinitive |
| The government cannot afford to wait any longer before acting on climate policy. | B2 — formal register, negative construction |
| Having waited patiently for three years, she was finally offered the promotion she deserved. | C1 — perfect participle clause, formal |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| wait for someone/something | I have been waiting for your reply all week. |
| wait to do something | They are waiting to board the plane. |
| wait patiently | Please wait patiently — your number will be called shortly. |
| wait anxiously | Parents waited anxiously outside the exam hall. |
| can't wait | I can't wait for the summer holidays! |
| worth the wait | The new restaurant finally opened — it was worth the wait. |
| lie in wait | The cat lay in wait behind the sofa. |
| a long wait | There was a long wait at the passport control desk. |
| wait your turn | Children are taught to wait their turn at school. |
| wait and see | We will just have to wait and see what happens next. |
Usage Notes
How to use wait correctly
wait for + noun/pronoun: Use for when the object of waiting is a person, thing, or event: "I am waiting for the results." "Wait for me!"
wait to + infinitive: Use to when followed by a verb: "She is waiting to hear back." "We are waiting to see the manager."
wait vs await: Await is more formal and is always transitive — it takes an object directly without for: "We await your decision." In everyday speech, wait for is far more common.
wait as a noun: The noun wait is used with articles and adjectives: "a short wait", "a frustrating wait", "the wait is over". It is not used in the plural to mean different periods of waiting.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I am waiting for to hear the news.
I am waiting to hear the news. (no for before a verb infinitive)
We await for your response.
We await your response. (await takes no preposition)
Can you wait me outside?
Can you wait for me outside? (wait requires for before a person)