Wait: Definition, Examples, and Usage Guide

Meaning 1：stay in place (wait)

wait 🔊

/weɪt/

To stay in a place until something happens or someone arrives.

Person waiting at bus stop checking phone

stay in place 🔊

➕

/steɪ ɪn pleɪs/

To remain in a location or state until a specific event or time occurs.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Primary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old French 'waitier' (to watch) and Proto-Germanic *wak- (awake).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine waiting at a bus stop: you stay put and watch the clock. W-A-I-T: 'Watch And Inquire Time'.

📖 Example

I had to wait for half an hour at the bus stop because the bus was late. 🔊 I had to remain at the bus stop for thirty minutes because the bus was running late.

🔗 Collocations

wait for – to stay in expectation of someone or something

wait until – to defer action until a certain time

wait in line – to stand in a queue patiently

🔄 Synonyms

await (v.) – to wait for something expected

remain (v.) – to stay in the same place

linger (v.) – to stay longer than necessary

🚫 Antonyms

act (v.) – to take immediate action

hasten (v.) – to move or act quickly

rush (v.) – to hurry forward

🌱 Derivatives

waiter (n.) – a person who serves food

waitress (n.) – a female waiter

await (v.) – to wait for something

📖 Cultural Story

Originating from Old French 'waitier' (to watch), 'wait' was used in medieval times for guards watching for enemies. Its modern sense of staying in place emerged by the 15th century.