to wait on
83
3.9
- phrasal verb
- US
:
esperar
- So now all we're waiting on, I think it's just us.
- wait on approval
- wait on a decision
- wait on test results
We can't have kids waiting on you, right?
- We can't have kids waiting on you, right?
- So we're waiting on the judge and it's high.
- The second category here is the people that you are waiting on, right?
- And, and we're still waiting on our Einstein, We're waiting on our Darwin.
- So he goes on and he says, instead, let the matter wait on your leisure.
- It's a media, though, waiting on a miracle.
- We could not continue to wait on Apple or Google to change their policies.
- That little girl who is always waiting on the hero finally became her own.
- Some were not working or waiting on engine parts.
- And sometimes, you know, I feel like they've been waiting on that call.
Examples
-
We could not continue to wait on Apple or Google to change their policies.
-
Obviously the supply chain is a thing, so I'm waiting on the next parts for this.
-
We could not continue to wait on Apple or Google to change their policies.
-
Thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of people are waiting on that video in the morning.
-
I had some blood work done and am waiting on the results of that.
Blog text (12) -
You may all return to your lives, since you were waiting on this news.
Blog text (10) -
We've been waiting on you.
-
The children's book is at the printers, and we are just waiting on the final product.
Blog text (12) -
I've been waiting on you for four weeks, Roberto.
-
Thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of people are waiting on that video in the morning.
Synonyms
∞
1.3
To wait for a short time during a phone call
522
3.2
To wait for something with hope or excitement
503
2.6
Be ready to act if needed
166
4.3
To delay doing something on purpose to get more time
111
3.4
To wait a short time or keep going through a hard time
78
3.8
To wait before doing something
42
4.3
Stay where you are until bad weather or danger passes
37
4.2
To wait before doing something
34
4.2
Delay making a decision about something while thinking about it
23
7.4
To wait patiently for the right time to act
22
7.4
Wait patiently and stay calm during a delay
16
3.5
Wait before doing something because you feel unsure
15
5.5
To delay something until a later time
6
4.8
To delay doing something to get more time
1
8.0
To delay making a decision or taking action
Delay making a decision by waiting instead of choosing
Wait for a good chance before acting
To delay action or decisions until things become clearer
Antonyms
How Quickly
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'delay action until something/ someone decides' is clearly related to 'wait' (postpone) plus 'on' (indicating dependence or continuation), so a learner who knows both words can often infer the general idea. However, the particle use is somewhat idiomatic and the verb is polysemous (e.g. 'wait on' can also mean 'serve'), so the precise sense and collocational use are not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
Wait on The phrasal verb wait on comes from the idea of wait as 'stay where you are' and on meaning because of someone or something, so you stay until a person answers or an event happens. So wait on can mean 'to delay taking action' until you get a decision.