verb · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ɪkˈspɛkt/
/ɛkˈspɛkt/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛkt
CMU ARPABET:IH0 K S P EH1 K T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To predict or believe that something will happen
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: ambitransitive
Examples
when you least expect it
I expect to be able to walk again after getting over my broken leg.
The hostage is expected to be released later today.
I expect it'll rain this weekend, but I hope it won't.
I did not expect you'd come before I asked you to, but do expect you to apologize for it.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: anticipate, hope, look for, bargain for
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To consider obligatory or required.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: call for, demand
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To consider reasonably due.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
My parents expected too much of me when I was in college.
You are expected to get the task done by the end of next week.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hope, want, wish
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To be pregnant, to consider a baby due.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: continuous aspect only
Examples
We are expecting our third in June.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To wait for; to await.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: await, abide, attend, bide, expect, hold up, keep, remain, stay, tarry, tend, wait, wait on, wait for
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To wait; to stay.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: wait
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
be pregnant with
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
She is bearing his child
The are expecting another child in January
I am carrying his child
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: have a bun in the oven, bear, carry, gestate
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: give birth, deliver, bear, birth, have
8
verb
Meaning 8
look forward to the birth of a child
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
She is expecting in March
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: expect, look, await, wait
9
verb
Meaning 9
consider reasonable or due
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
I'm expecting a full explanation as to why these files were destroyed
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: see, consider, reckon, view, regard
10
verb
Meaning 10
regard something as probable or likely
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The meteorologists are expecting rain for tomorrow
Narrower terms: expect, look forward, look to, hang on, hold the line, hold on, anticipate, look for
12
verb
Meaning 12
consider obligatory; request and expect
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
We require our secretary to be on time
Aren't we asking too much of these children?
I expect my students to arrive in time for their lessons
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: ask, require
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: demand
Narrower terms: call
History
Etymology
From Latin expectāre, infinitive form of exspectō (“look out for, await, expect”), from ex (“out”) + spectō (“look at”), frequentative of speciō (“see”).
Across languages
Translations
125 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
تَوَقَّعَ
(tawaqqaʕa)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Armenian:
ակնկալել
(aknkalel)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Armenian:
սպասել
(spasel)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Bashkir:
көтөү
(kötöw)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Bulgarian:
оча́квам
(očákvam)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Catalan:
esperar
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Catalan:
predir
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Chinese Mandarin:
期待
(qīdài)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Chinese Mandarin:
預料 /预料
(yùliào)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Czech:
očekávat
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Danish:
forvente
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Dutch:
verwachten
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Esperanto:
anticipi
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Finnish:
odottaa
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Finnish:
odotella
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Finnish:
ajatella
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
French:
attendre
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
French:
s'attendre à
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
French:
prédire
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Georgian:
მოლოდინი
(molodini)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Georgian:
ლოდინი
(lodini)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
German:
erwarten
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Gothic:
𐍅𐌴𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌽
(wēnjan)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Greek:
αναμένω
(anaméno)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Ancient Greek:
προσδοκάω
(prosdokáō)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Hebrew:
ציפה
(tsipá)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Hungarian:
számít
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Hungarian:
számol (with -val/-vel)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Irish:
coinne a bheith agat ar
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Irish:
súil a bheith agat ar
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Irish:
dréim
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Italian:
aspettarsi
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Italian:
pensare
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Italian:
predire
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Japanese:
期待する
(kitai suru)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Khmer:
រំពឹង
(rumpɨng)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Korean:
기대하다
(gidaehada)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Latin:
spērō
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Latin:
expecto
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Latin:
exspecto
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Macedonian:
очекува
(očekuva)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Māori:
tūmanako
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Māori:
kawatau
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Nahuatl:
chiya
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Norwegian Bokmål:
forvente
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Norwegian Nynorsk:
forvente
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Old English:
wēnan
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Persian:
انتظار داشتن
(entezâr dâštan)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Polish:
spodziewać się
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Polish:
oczekiwać
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Portuguese:
esperar
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Portuguese:
aguardar
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Portuguese:
predizer
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Romanian:
prezice
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Russian:
наде́яться
(nadéjatʹsja)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Slovene:
pričakovati
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Slovene:
nadejati se
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Spanish:
esperar
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Spanish:
expectar
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Spanish:
aguardar
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Spanish:
esperarse
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Spanish:
figurarse
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Spanish:
tener la expectativa de
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Spanish:
estar/permanecer expectante de/por
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Swahili:
kutazamia
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Swedish:
förvänta
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Swedish:
vänta sig
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Tamil:
எதிர்பார்
(etirpār)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Thai:
คาดหวัง
(kâat-wǎng)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Tocharian B:
päkw-
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Ottoman Turkish:
اوممق
(ummak)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Ukrainian:
наді́ятися
(nadíjatysja)
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Vietnamese:
mong đợi
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Welsh:
disgwyl
— to look for, look forward to, anticipate
Armenian:
ակնկալել
(aknkalel)
— to consider obligatory
Armenian:
ենթադրել
(entʻadrel)
— to consider obligatory
Danish:
forvente
— to consider obligatory
Dutch:
verwachten
— to consider obligatory
Finnish:
odottaa
— to consider obligatory
Finnish:
odotella
— to consider obligatory
French:
attendre
— to consider obligatory
German:
erwarten
— to consider obligatory
Hungarian:
elvár
— to consider obligatory
Italian:
aspettarsi
— to consider obligatory
Norwegian Bokmål:
forvente
— to consider obligatory
Norwegian Nynorsk:
forvente
— to consider obligatory
Polish:
oczekiwać
— to consider obligatory
Portuguese:
esperar
— to consider obligatory
Russian:
ожида́ть
(ožidátʹ)
— to consider obligatory
Slovene:
pričakovati
— to consider obligatory
Spanish:
pretender
— to consider obligatory
Spanish:
expectar
— to consider obligatory
Spanish:
exigir
— to consider obligatory
Spanish:
tener la expectativa de
— to consider obligatory
Spanish:
estar/permanecer expectante de/por
— to consider obligatory
Swedish:
förvänta
— to consider obligatory
Tamil:
எதிர்ப்பார்த்தல்
(etirppārttal)
— to consider obligatory
Ukrainian:
очі́кувати
(očíkuvaty)
— to consider obligatory
Armenian:
ենթադրել
(entʻadrel)
— to consider reasonably due
Armenian:
կարծել
(karcel)
— to consider reasonably due
Armenian:
համարել
(hamarel)
— to consider reasonably due
Azerbaijani:
ummaq
— to consider reasonably due
Bulgarian:
оча́ква се
(očákva se)
— to consider reasonably due
Chinese Mandarin:
期望
(qīwàng)
— to consider reasonably due
Danish:
forvente
— to consider reasonably due
Dutch:
verwachten
— to consider reasonably due
German:
erwarten
— to consider reasonably due
Hebrew:
ציפה
(tsipá)
— to consider reasonably due
Hungarian:
elvár
— to consider reasonably due
Hungarian:
vár
— to consider reasonably due
Italian:
aspettarsi
— to consider reasonably due
Norwegian Bokmål:
forvente
— to consider reasonably due
Norwegian Nynorsk:
forvente
— to consider reasonably due
Polish:
oczekiwać
— to consider reasonably due
Portuguese:
prever
— to consider reasonably due
Russian:
ожида́ть
(ožidátʹ)
— to consider reasonably due
Slovene:
pričakovati
— to consider reasonably due
Spanish:
pretender
— to consider reasonably due
Spanish:
expectar
— to consider reasonably due
Spanish:
esperar en
— to consider reasonably due
Spanish:
exigir
— to consider reasonably due
Spanish:
tener la expectativa de
— to consider reasonably due
Spanish:
estar/permanecer expectante de/por
— to consider reasonably due
Swedish:
förvänta
— to consider reasonably due
Ukrainian:
очі́кувати
(očíkuvaty)
— to consider reasonably due
