await

verb

ə-ˈwāt How to pronounce await (audio)
awaited; awaiting; awaits
Synonyms of awaitnext

transitive verb

1
a
: to wait for
We are awaiting his arrival.
await a decision
b
: to remain in abeyance until
a treaty awaiting ratification
2
: to be in store for
He wonders what awaits him next.
3
obsolete : to lie in wait for

intransitive verb

1
: to stay or be in waiting : wait
The nation awaited as Congress debated the issue.
2
: to be in store
… marched … north to civilization where fame and fortune awaited.— Tom Marvel
3
obsolete : attend

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of await in a Sentence

A crowd of people awaited the train. We're eagerly awaiting his arrival. He was arrested and is now in prison awaiting trial. Her long-awaited new novel is finally being published. The same fate awaits us all.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Fans will anxiously await Skye Blakely’s return to the bars. — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025 The agreement is currently awaiting approval from the NFL, according to one of the sources. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 7 Aug. 2025 All are awaiting sentencing. Perry, who was found dead at age 54 at his home on Oct. 23, 2023, had been getting ketamine from his regular doctor for treatment of depression, an increasingly common off-label use for the surgical anesthetic. — Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025 The nation’s oldest and wealthiest university awaits a judge’s decision on whether the White House should be forced to release the money while also reportedly discussing its own settlement options. — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for await

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French aweiter, aguaiter, from a- (from Latin ad-) + guaiter to watch — more at wait

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of await was in the 13th century

Rhymes for await

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Browse Nearby Words

Awadhi
await
Awaji
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Await.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/await. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.

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Kids Definition

await

verb
ə-ˈwāt How to pronounce await (audio)
1
: to wait for : expect
await a train
2
: to be ready or waiting for
a reward awaits you

More from Merriam-Webster on await

Nglish: Translation of await for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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