expect
Usage
What are other ways to say expect?
The verb expect implies confidently believing, usually for good reasons, that an event will occur: to expect a visit from a friend. To anticipate is to look forward to an event and even to picture it: Do you anticipate trouble? Hope implies a wish that an event may take place and an expectation that it will: to hope for the best. Await (wait for) implies being alert and ready, whether for good or evil: to await news after a cyclone.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We expect a mix of communities,” she said, “which feels very much in the spirit of New York.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
El Niño also tends to suppress Atlantic hurricanes, and forecasters already expect a quieter-than-average season.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
Bank of America economists expect headline PCE inflation to reach 4.1% year over year, the highest level since April 2023.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
Once seated, expect a steady stream of pão de queijo, fried bananas and tableside-carved meats delivered by roaming gaúchos.
From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026
As we left Coogie told my aunt, “Better not expect him for lunch.”
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
Vocabulary lists containing expect
"Eleven"
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List 5
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Think
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