Phrase guide

lie in wait

verb · 2 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

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  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To be hiding, waiting to ambush or attack someone, or simply to accost them unexpectedly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: waylay

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

wait in hiding to attack

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ambush, scupper, bushwhack, waylay, lurk, ambuscade

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wait

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

34 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: դարանակալել (daranakalel) — to be hiding to ambush
  • Asturian: cuidar — to be hiding to ambush
  • Bulgarian: де́бна (débna) — to be hiding to ambush
  • Catalan: estar a l'aguait — to be hiding to ambush
  • French: être à l'affût — to be hiding to ambush
  • French: êtres aux aguets — to be hiding to ambush
  • German: auf der Lauer liegen — to be hiding to ambush
  • Ancient Greek: ἐνεδρεύω (enedreúō) — to be hiding to ambush
  • Ancient Greek: φυλάσσω (phulássō) — to be hiding to ambush
  • Hebrew: אָרַב (aráv) — to be hiding to ambush
  • Icelandic: sitja um — to be hiding to ambush
  • Icelandic: liggja í launsátri — to be hiding to ambush
  • Icelandic: sitja fyrir — to be hiding to ambush
  • Italian: appostarsi — to be hiding to ambush
  • Italian: stare in agguato — to be hiding to ambush
  • Japanese: 張り込む (harikomu) — to be hiding to ambush
  • Latin: aucupor — to be hiding to ambush
  • Latin: īnsidior — to be hiding to ambush
  • Manx: fo-lhie — to be hiding to ambush
  • Polish: czatować — to be hiding to ambush
  • Polish: przyczajać się — to be hiding to ambush
  • Polish: przyczaić się — to be hiding to ambush
  • Portuguese: emboscar-se — to be hiding to ambush
  • Portuguese: tocaiar — to be hiding to ambush
  • Quechua: chapatiyay — to be hiding to ambush
  • Russian: злоумы́слить (zloumýslitʹ) — to be hiding to ambush
  • Spanish: estar al acecho — to be hiding to ambush
  • Swedish: ligga på lur — to be hiding to ambush
  • Thai: ดักรอ — to be hiding to ambush
  • Turkish: pusuya yatmak — to be hiding to ambush
  • Turkish: pusu kurmak — to be hiding to ambush
  • Turkish: pusmak — to be hiding to ambush
  • Ottoman Turkish: پوصمق (pusmak) — to be hiding to ambush
  • ǃXóõ: ǂqàa — to be hiding to ambush