Await is a formalused in serious or official situations, not casual conversation verb that means to expectthink that a particular event will probably occur or wait for something to happen or arrivereach a place, especially after traveling.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /əˈweɪt/
Easy pronunciation: uh-WAIT (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the second syllable.
Verb meaning to wait for or expect something to happen or arrive.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Await Meaning
to wait for something
Part of speech: verb
Definition: to expect or wait for something to happen or arrive
Example: We await further instructions from the manager.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- expect — Works well when you mean to anticipate something is going to happen.
- wait — Close in meaning, though it is more general and less formal.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Await Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- expect
- wait
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes use await in a very formal way when plain wait sounds more natural in everyday English.
- Await is usually followed by a direct object: 'await the results,' not 'await for the results.'
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does await mean?
Await means to wait for or expect something to happen, arrive, or be done.
What are some synonyms of await?
Common synonyms include expect and wait, depending on the sentence.
Is await formal?
Yes. Await is more formal than wait and is more common in writing than in everyday speech.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.