wait for Godot
To wait hopelessly.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Don't wait for Godot; he is never coming.”
“We sat in the empty office for hours waiting for Godot, knowing the manager would never actually arrive.”
“The villagers continued their futile vigil, waiting for Godot, despite the clear evidence that their promised savior had long since abandoned them.”
Refers to the surreal comic play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, in which two tramps engage in a variety of discussions and encounters while awaiting "Godot", who never arrives.
- 01
can't wait
To eagerly anticipate; to find it hard to wait for a forthcoming pleasurable event.
- 02
hurry up and wait
To hurry to complete a task or arrive at a destination by a specified time, only for nothing to happen, due to other requirements that have yet to be satisfied.
- 03
wait around
To spend an especially lengthy period of time inactively, while expecting the arrival of someone or while anticipating some other event, often impatiently and often without a satisfactory outcome.
- 04
wait for it
Used to draw attention to and build suspense, often ironically, for a remark to come.
- 05
wait for the ball to drop
To wait in expectation of an occurrence.
- 06
wait for the dust to settle
To let a situation calm down, become clear or certain, before taking any action.
- 07
wait for the other shoe to drop
To defer action or decision until another matter is finished or resolved.
- 08
wait in the wings
To be about to become important or central.
Last updated August 10, 2026