Phrase guide

on the way

prep_phrase · 6 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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1

prep_phrase

Meaning 1

Coming; approaching.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • Don't panic! Reinforcements are on the way.
  • Spring is on the way.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

prep_phrase

Meaning 2

Heading to a certain place.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • We are on our way to the train station.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

prep_phrase

Meaning 3

On the direct route that one intends to travel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I can drop you at the station, as it is on my way home.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

prep_phrase

Meaning 4

On one's way.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

prep_phrase

Meaning 5

While travelling.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adverb

Meaning 6

on a route to some place

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • help is on the way
  • we saw him on the way to California

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: en route

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

73 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: op pad — coming
  • Afrikaans: onderweg — coming
  • Arabic: فِي الطَّرِيق (fī ṭ-ṭarīq) — coming
  • Chinese Mandarin: 在路上 (zài lùshàng) — coming
  • Chinese Mandarin: 途中 (túzhōng) — coming
  • Danish: på vej — coming
  • Dutch: onderweg — coming
  • Esperanto: venonta — coming
  • Finnish: tulossa — coming
  • Finnish: tiedossa — coming
  • French: en route — coming
  • Georgian: ჩამოსვლა (čamosvla) — coming
  • German: unterwegs — coming
  • German: auf dem Weg — coming
  • Hebrew: בדרך — coming
  • Hungarian: úton — coming
  • Indonesian: sedang di jalan — coming
  • Italian: in arrivo — coming
  • Japanese: 途中で (tochū de) — coming
  • Korean: 도중에 (dojung'e) — coming
  • Macedonian: на пат (na pat) — coming
  • Persian: در راه (dar râh) — coming
  • Polish: w drodze — coming
  • Portuguese: a caminho — coming
  • Russian: в пути́ (v putí) — coming
  • Russian: на пути́ (na putí) — coming
  • Russian: в доро́ге (v doróge) — coming
  • Serbo-Croatian: на путу — coming
  • Serbo-Croatian: na putu — coming
  • Spanish: en ruta — coming
  • Spanish: en camino — coming
  • Spanish: en rumbo — coming
  • Spanish: en el camino — coming
  • Swedish: på väg — coming
  • Tamil: வழியில் (vaḻiyil) — coming
  • Spanish: camino — heading to a certain place
  • Spanish: de camino — heading to a certain place
  • Spanish: rumbo — heading to a certain place
  • Spanish: en camino — heading to a certain place
  • Spanish: en rumbo — heading to a certain place
  • Swedish: på väg — heading to a certain place
  • Dutch: op zijn weg — on the direct route
  • Hungarian: útba esik — on the direct route
  • Italian: sulla strada per — on the direct route
  • Polish: po drodze — on the direct route
  • Spanish: rumbo — on the direct route
  • Spanish: de paso — on the direct route
  • Spanish: en camino — on the direct route
  • Spanish: en el camino — on the direct route
  • Spanish: de camino — on the direct route
  • Spanish: en ruta — on the direct route
  • Spanish: en rumbo — on the direct route
  • Swedish: på vägen — on the direct route
  • Tamil: வழியில் (vaḻiyil) — on the direct route
  • Afrikaans: op pad — while travelling
  • Catalan: de camí — while travelling
  • Dutch: onderweg — while travelling
  • Esperanto: survoje — while travelling
  • Finnish: matkalla — while travelling
  • French: en chemin — while travelling
  • French: chemin faisant — while travelling
  • French: en cours de route — while travelling
  • German: unterwegs — while travelling
  • Hungarian: útközben — while travelling
  • Italian: strada facendo — while travelling
  • Latin: obiter — while travelling
  • Macedonian: по пат (po pat) — while travelling
  • Polish: po drodze — while travelling
  • Spanish: en el camino — while travelling
  • Swedish: under resans gång — while travelling
  • Swedish: på vägen — while travelling
  • Tamil: வழியில் (vaḻiyil) — while travelling
  • Urdu: راستے میں (rāste ma͠i) — while travelling