# await

/əˈweɪt/ (US) · /ɐwˈeɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/await
Updated: 2026-07-22

## Senses

### 2. to be in store for

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal · Literary

to be ready and waiting for someone.

For teachers: to be in store for or to be ready for someone; often used when a situation or fate is prepared for a person.

- A warm welcome awaits you when you arrive at the hotel.
- The young graduates had no idea of the professional challenges that awaited them in the competitive world of international finance.

Teaching tip: This sense often places the 'thing' as the subject and the 'person' as the object.

## Examples

- We await your reply with great interest.
- The legal team must await the judge's final ruling before they can file any further motions.
- While the scientists await the results of the peer review process, they have refrained from making any public statements regarding the potential breakthrough.

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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.