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expect

[ik-spekt] / ɪkˈspɛkt /




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.

For former France striker Louis Saha, the star showing from Olise was "what we expect from such a player" - and he has a big target in mind.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

Investors expect the ECB to raise borrowing costs at the same time after inflation picked up in May to its highest level since September 2023.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Labelled as planet X, prominent astronomers had put it forward as an explanation for Uranus’s orbit, which drifts from the path of orbital motion that physics would expect it to follow.

From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026

So far, demand is as hot as investors might expect.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

I expect Dad to pry the device from her hands, but his legs collapse from under him.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller




Vocabulary lists containing expect


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