Search results
- Dictionaryexpect/ɪkˈspɛkt/
verb
- 1. regard (something) as likely to happen: "it's as well to expect the worst" Similar anticipateawaitlook forhope forwatch forlook forward tolook ahead tohave in prospectcontemplatebargain for/onbank onbe prepared forplan forpredictforecastforeseeprophesyenvisageenvision
- ▪ regard (someone) as likely to do or be something: "they were not expecting him to continue" Similar supposepresumethink it likelythinkbelieveimagineassumeconjecturesurmisecalculatejudgetrustinformal:guessreckonfigure
- ▪ believe that (someone or something) will arrive soon: "Celia was expecting a visitor"
- ▪ require (something) as rightfully due or appropriate in the circumstances: "we expect great things of you" Similar requireask forcall forlook forwishwanthope forcount onrely oninsist ondemand
- ▪ require (someone) to fulfil an obligation: "we expect employers to pay a reasonable salary"
- ▪ used to indicate that one supposes something to be so but has no firm evidence: "they're just friends of his, I expect"
Word Origin mid 16th century (in the sense ‘defer action, wait’): from Latin exspectare ‘look out for’, from ex- ‘out’ + spectare ‘to look’ (frequentative of specere ‘see’).
Derivatives
- 1. expectable adjective
Scrabble Points: 17
E
1X
8P
3E
1C
3T
1
Powered by Oxford Dictionaries