expect
- 01 A2 Elementary
to think that something will happen in the future.
to anticipate or predict the occurrence of a future event based on probability or evidence.
Simple“We expect the weather to be sunny for our picnic tomorrow.”
In context“Economists expect the inflation rate to stabilise by the third quarter, provided that global supply chains remain uninterrupted.”
UsageOften followed by an object and a to-infinitive.
PitfallI am expecting that he arrives soon. I expect him to arrive soon.While 'expect that' is possible, 'expect [someone] to [do something]' is the more common and natural pattern for personal expectations.
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
to feel that someone should do something because it is their duty or a rule.
to consider something as obligatory or required by social, professional, or moral standards.
Simple“The teacher expects all students to arrive on time for the exam.”
In context“The board of directors expects full transparency from the executive team regarding the recent budget discrepancies.”
UsageCommonly used in professional or formal contexts to outline duties.
- 03 B1 Intermediate
to be pregnant and waiting for a baby to be born.
to be pregnant; used in the progressive form to indicate a child is due.
Simple“They are expecting their first child in early September.”
In context“The couple announced they were expecting twins, much to the delight of their extended family.”
UsageAlmost always used in the continuous form ('is expecting').
Teacher's tipThis is a polite, slightly softer way to say someone is pregnant.
Synonymsbe pregnant
expect vs wait — Wait is the physical act of staying in one place or letting time pass; expect is the mental belief that something will happen.
Usage expect to see · expect gain · generally expect
From Latin expectāre, infinitive form of exspectō (“look out for, await, expect”), from ex (“out”) + spectō (“look at”), frequentative of speciō (“see”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.