- informal pregnant
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
expecting /ɪkˈspɛktɪŋ/ adj
ex•pect /ɪkˈspɛkt/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object]
See -spec-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023-
- to anticipate the occurrence or the coming of:We are expecting fifty guests.
- [not: be + ~-ing] to believe or think: [~ + (that) clause]We expect that fifty guests will come.[~ + object + to + verb]We expect fifty guests to come to the party.[~ + to + verb]I expect to get there on time.
- Informal. to suppose;
guess;
presume:[not: be + ~-ing* usually: I + ~;~ + clause]I expect you know who I'm talking about.
- Idioms be expecting, to be pregnant:She's expecting and is due to give birth in August.
See -spec-.
ex•pect
(ik spekt′),USA pronunciation v.t.
v.i.
ex•pect′a•ble, adj.
ex•pect′a•bly, adv.
ex•pect′ed•ly, adv.
ex•pect′ed•ness, n.
ex•pect′er, n.
ex•pect′ing•ly, adv.
- to look forward to;
regard as likely to happen;
anticipate the occurrence or the coming of:I expect to read it. I expect him later. She expects that they will come. - to look for with reason or justification:We expect obedience.
- Informal Termsto suppose or surmise;
guess:I expect that you are tired from the trip. - to anticipate the birth of (one's child):Paul and Sylvia expect their second very soon.
v.i.
- Idioms be expecting, to be pregnant:The cat is expecting again.
- Latin ex(s)pectāre to look out for, await, equivalent. to ex- ex-1 + spectāre to look at, frequentative of specere; see spectacle
- 1550–60
ex•pect′a•bly, adv.
ex•pect′ed•ly, adv.
ex•pect′ed•ness, n.
ex•pect′er, n.
ex•pect′ing•ly, adv.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged Expect, anticipate, hope, await all imply looking to some future event. Expect implies confidently believing, usually for good reasons, that an event will occur:to expect a visit from a friend.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.
- 3. This sense of expect (I expect you went with them. I expect you want to leave now.) is encountered in the speech of educated people but seldom in their writing.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
expect /ɪkˈspɛkt/ vb (tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive)
See also expectingEtymology: 16th Century: from Latin exspectāre to watch for, from spectāre to look at
exˈpectable adj
- to regard as probable or likely; anticipate
- to look forward to or be waiting for
- to decide that (something) is requisite or necessary; require: the boss expects us to work late today
See also expectingEtymology: 16th Century: from Latin exspectāre to watch for, from spectāre to look at
exˈpectable adj
'expecting' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
assuming
- bearish
- bullish
- expect
- expectancy
- expectant
- expectation
- give
- in
- out
- out-of-town
- outwait
- promise
- scorched earth policy
- stiffen
- stork
- strut
- what
- year