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.
Don’t expect a New York Knicks-style celebrity row.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
Analysts expect around $60 billion of revenue in the second quarter, according to FactSet, a 27% increase from the prior-year period.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
He wants to know about every bit of money we have or expect to receive in the future.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
"They paid one of the cheapest prices and yet they expect VIP service," he says, adding that other companies charge six-figure sums for similar trips.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
“The Civil War lasted four years. Over and over, Caesar killed. He helped free a people. I’m grateful. Yet I expect his memories—the cost is almost unbearable.”
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Vocabulary lists containing expect
"Eleven"
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List 5
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Think
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