# wait for Godot

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/wait-for-godot
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To wait hopelessly.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.