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waiting

waiting

565 1.0
Time spent staying in one place while expecting someone or something
  • noun
  • /ˈweɪtɪŋ/
translation icon : espera
  • 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.

  • All right, well, this waiting is driving me crazy.

  • We were in the waiting room, you know.

  • Has all this waiting been for nothing?

  • 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

wait
vswaiting
227 1.0

A period of time spent staying in one place expecting someone or something

is the act of remaining inactive while expecting someone or something to happen

Antonyms

161 2.8

To do something to solve a problem or make a change

Idioms

37 5.1

Something likely to cause trouble soon

Fully prepared and available to begin or help right away

A situation very likely to cause serious trouble

A tense unstable situation that could easily become violent

Compounds

100 1.3

A room in places like a hospital or station where people sit and wait

59 2.0

A list of people who cannot get something now but want it

call waiting
  • Specialized
12 2.6

A phone service that alerts you to a new call while you are on the phone

12 1.8

A place with seats where people wait

waiting game
  • Informal
11 4.7

A situation where people wait to see what others do to gain an advantage

A woman who helps and looks after a queen or princess

1 1.8

A line of people or cars waiting for their turn

waiting room
  • Texting
1 3.0

An online space where people wait before joining a live meeting

How Long

delay
434 1.3
waiting
565 1.0
pause
192 1.0

Surface Forms

waiting singular
waitings plural

Morphology

waiting = wait (transparent) = wait + ing

The noun is the gerund/nominalization formed by adding '-ing' to the verb 'wait', a standard and productive pattern.

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.