1 A2 neutral
To remain somewhere or delay action until a person arrives or a thing happens.
"We waited for the bus for nearly half an hour in the rain."
inseparable
wait for
A2 neutral inseparable transitive
To stay in a place or delay action until a person, event, or thing arrives or occurs.
In plain English
To stay somewhere until something or someone comes.
What does "wait for" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To delay taking action until something specific has happened or been received.
"Don't start eating — wait for everyone to sit down first."
inseparable
3 B1 idiomatic informal
Used in the phrase 'wait for it' to build suspense before revealing surprising information.
"The price of the car — wait for it — is less than five thousand dollars."
inseparable
Usage tip
One of the most basic and common phrasal verbs in English. Always takes an object. Can refer to waiting for a person, a bus, a result, a signal, or any future event. Used in all registers and varieties of English.
Words that pair with "wait for"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
bus result call news turn reply
How to conjugate "wait for"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
wait for
I/you/we/they
3rd person
waits for
he/she/it
Past simple
waited for
yesterday
Past participle
waited for
have + pp
-ing form
waiting for
continuous
Hear "wait for" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "wait for" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "wait for"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
anticipate await expect hold on for stand by for
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