waiting
328
1.0
- noun
- /ˈweɪtɪŋ/
- One gets the sense that this is a cross between a waiting room and a meeting hall.
- a waiting list
- a waiting room
- waiting time
Examples
-
After a long period of waiting, she finally received the news she had been hoping for.
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All right, well, this waiting is driving me crazy.
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We were in the waiting room, you know.
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Has all this waiting been for nothing?
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Mostly, she sat next to the telephone waiting for her boyfriend, George, to call.
Fiction book (1991) -
It's the waiting that's getting me.
-
- There's a fifteen day waiting period.
-
In addition, flyers were posted in the waiting and interview rooms at each facility.
Academic text (2008) -
Doug sat on the low Naugahyde couch in the waiting room of the police station.
Fiction book (1991) -
"As they came abreast of the waiting room, Marissa heard Mrs. Hargrave call out Robert's name."
Fiction book (1991)
Synonyms
177
1.0
A period of time spent staying in one place expecting someone or something
Antonyms
Idioms
- Literature
A tense unstable situation that could easily become violent
Compounds
- Specialized
17
2.6
A phone service that alerts you to a new call while you are on the phone
- Informal
13
4.7
A situation where people wait to see what others do to gain an advantage
How Long
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Waiting comes from the old verb wait, which once meant 'to watch' or 'stay ready', so imagine someone watching a door or a clock for news. That's why waiting means the act of staying in one place and expecting something to happen.