phrasal verb🧩 phrasal verb

wait for

to expect arrival of

What it means

To stay in one place or delay action until someone arrives or something happens. It expresses anticipation of a person, event, or moment.

Examples

  • I've been waiting for the bus in the rain for twenty minutes.
  • She's still waiting for a reply to the email she sent last week.
  • Let's wait for everyone to arrive before we start the meeting.
  • He waited for the perfect moment to ask her about the job.

Where it comes from

Inseparable phrasal verb. Common learner error: saying 'wait me' instead of 'wait for me' — the preposition is required when an object follows.

Related phrasal verbs

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