Word
waiting
Phoneticswait·ing, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈweɪtɪŋ/
UK/wˈeɪtɪŋ/
Definitions
01staying in expectation
A1 · Beginner Uncountable noun
n. the time you spend staying in a place until something happens.
n. the act or period of remaining in a state of expectation or anticipation.
“After an hour of waiting, the doctor finally called my name.”
“The long waiting in the terminal was made more bearable by the comfortable seating and the availability of high-speed internet.”
Synonyms
02attendance or service
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Formal · Literary
n. the act of serving or helping someone, especially in a formal way.
n. the act of attending or serving, particularly in a formal or royal household context.
“The lady-in-waiting helped the queen prepare for the ceremony.”
“The position involved constant waiting upon the duchess, requiring the staff to be available at all hours of the day and night.”
Usage
Often found in the phrase 'lady-in-waiting'.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“That NHS boards have imposed minimum two-year waiting times for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism assessments shows a health service struggling to deal with the consequences of huge changes in understanding of and social attitudes to these conditions.” “More than 3,000 houses stand in neat rows across Rong Cham, a 400-hectare (990-acre) resettlement site dubbed by residents "the Waiting Village", where families who fled fighting along the Cambodia-Thailand” Etymology
From Middle English waitinge, waytynge, waitende, weytende, waitand, waytand, equivalent to wait + -ing.
From Middle English waitynge, waytynge, equivalent to wait + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Idioms
In Literature
Cover: CC0, via Wikimedia Commons — Fernand Michaud.
Waiting for Godot · 1952-01-01 · Absurdist drama
- Author:
- Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett’s famous absurdist play follows two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, as they pass the time on a desolate road. They are engaged in a seemingly endless cycle of staying in one place for a mysterious figure who never arrives. The story explores the human condition through this persistent state of expectation and uncertainty.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · Beginner
- Updated
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