First Known Use: 13th century
Dictionary
await
verb \ə-ˈwāt\
: to wait for (someone or something)
: to be ready or waiting for (someone or something)
Full Definition of AWAIT
transitive verb
1
obsolete : to lie in wait for
2
a : to wait for <awaiting his arrival> b : to remain in abeyance until <a treaty awaiting ratification>
3
: to be in store for <wonders what awaits him next>
intransitive verb
1
obsolete : attend
2
: to stay or be in waiting : wait
3
: to be in store
See await defined for English-language learners
See await defined for kids
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Origin of AWAIT
Middle English, from Anglo-French aweiter, aguaiter, from a- (from Latin ad-) + guaiter to watch — more at wait
Related to AWAIT
- Synonyms
- anticipate, expect, hope (for), watch (for)
Rhymes with AWAIT
abate, ablate, adnate, aerate, age-mate, agnate, airdate, airfreight, alate, arête, backdate, baldpate, bandmate, baseplate, bedmate, bedplate, berate, birthrate, bistate, bite plate, blank slate, blind date, blue plate, bookplate, breastplate, casemate, castrate, caudate, cell plate, cerate, cheapskate, checkmate, chelate, chordate, citrate, classmate, clavate, cognate, collate, comate, conflate, connate, Cook Strait, cordate, create, cremate, crenate, curate, cut-rate, deadweight, death rate, debate, deflate, delate, dentate, derate, dictate, dilate, disrate, donate, doorplate, downstate, drawplate, elate, end plate, equate, estate, faceplate, falcate, fellate, filtrate, first-rate, fishplate, fixate, flatmate, floodgate, fluxgate, flyweight, folate, formate, frustrate, gelate, gestate, ground state, gyrate, hamate, hastate, headgate, Hell Gate, helpmate, home plate, hot plate, housemate, hydrate, ice-skate, inflate, ingrate, inmate, innate, instate, irate, jailbait, Kuwait, lactate, lapse rate, legate, liftgate, ligate, lightweight, liquate, lobate, locate, lunate, lustrate, lych-gate, lyrate, magnate, makebate, makeweight, mandate, messmate, migrate, misstate, mutate, nameplate, narrate, negate, Newgate, nitrate, notate, nutate, oblate, of late, orate, ornate, ovate, palmate, palpate, peltate, phonate, pinnate, placate, playdate, playmate, plicate, portrait, postdate, predate, prime rate, probate, prolate, pronate, prorate, prostate, prostrate, punctate, pupate, quadrate, rain date, ramate, rebate, red-bait, relate, restate, roommate, rostrate, rotate, saccate, schoolmate, seatmate, sedate, sensate, septate, serrate, shipmate, short weight, slave state, soleplate, soul mate, spectate, spicate, squamate, stagnate, stalemate, stellate, striate, sublate, substrate, sulcate, summate, tailgate, teammate, Tebet, tenth-rate, ternate, terneplate, testate, third-rate, tinplate, to date, toeplate, tollgate, tractate, translate, tristate, truncate, unweight, update, uprate, upstate, V-8, vacate, vallate, valvate, vibrate, virgate, vulgate, whitebait, workmate
AWAIT Defined for Kids
await
verb \ə-ˈwāt\
await·edawait·ing
Definition of AWAIT for Kids
1
: to wait for <await a train>
2
: to be ready or waiting for <Dinner was awaiting them on their arrival.>
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