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Glite Dictionary
to outwait

to outwait

1 7.0
To wait longer than someone else to get an advantage
  • verb
  • /ˌaʊtˈweɪt/
translation icon : esperar más que
  • They had outwaited us, and now the ranch belonged to them.

Examples

  • "If there's a man that can outwait gravel," I say, "it's you."

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Stubborn to the very end, he outwaited me.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Guess we'll just have to outwait her.

    Scum of the Earth! (1963)

  • "Are you going to outwait it?"

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Well, she'd outwait him.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • In the game of poker, I decided to outwait my opponents until they revealed their hands.

  • She had a strong strategy to outwait the negotiations, knowing patience would yield better results.

  • To secure the best deal, the buyer chose to outwait the sellers until they lowered their prices.

Synonyms

to wait out
vsto outwait
42 4.3

Stay where you are until bad weather or danger passes

lasts longer than others mainly to force the situation to change
to buy time
vsto outwait
23 4.1

To delay something on purpose to get more time to prepare

lasts longer than someone else to gain an advantage
to bide
vsto outwait
23 7.4

To wait patiently for the right time to act

endures longer than someone else to secure advantage or change
to stall for time
vsto outwait
  • Informal
6 4.8

To delay doing something to get more time

holds out longer than another person to gain advantage
to play for time
vsto outwait
  • Informal
4 5.0

To delay on purpose to get more time before deciding or acting

stretches duration beyond others to improve position or outcomes
to gain time
vsto outwait
1 6.1

Delay something on purpose to have more time before a decision

extends presence beyond others to secure benefit or change
to bide one's time
vsto outwait
  • Informal
7.5

Wait for a good chance before acting

lasts longer than others to gain advantage rather than just patience

How Patient

to persist
62 3.7
to hold out
139 3.7
to outwait
1 7.0
to linger
207 3.7
to wait
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

outwait infinitive
outwaited past
outwaited past participle
outwaiting present participle
outwaits third person singular

Morphology

outwait = wait (transparent) = out + wait

The meaning is directly derived from the productive prefix 'out-' (to surpass) combined with 'wait' meaning to wait longer than someone else.

Etymology

The word outwait is a simple compound of out- and wait. The out- part means 'more than', as in outdo or outrun, and wait means 'to stay and be patient'. So outwait means to 'wait' longer than someone else to gain an advantage.