expect

verb
UK: /ɪkˈspekt/
US: /ɪkˈspekt/

  1. To think or believe something will happen, or someone will arrive.

    1. I expect he will be late for the meeting again this time. [ ] [ ]
    2. We expect the delivery of the new furniture sometime next week if possible. [ ] [ ]

  2. To think that something is likely to be true or likely to happen.

    1. Do you expect it to rain later, take an umbrella just in case. [ ] [ ]
    2. Given her qualifications, I expect she'll get a high-paying job easily. [ ] [ ]

  3. To demand something from someone because it is a duty or part of their job.

    1. My boss expects me to finish this report before leaving today. [ ] [ ]
    2. The school expects students to behave in a respectful manner and follow rules. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

anticipate assume await hope foresee presume predict
expect intransitive-verb

  1. To be pregnant.

    1. She is expecting, and they're very happy about it, so congratulations. [ ] [ ]
    2. They were not expecting so soon, but they are adapting well to the change. [ ] [ ]
expect noun

  1. A hope or belief that something will happen.

    1. I have high expectations for this project so do your best. [ ] [ ]
    2. Against all expectations, he managed to win the competition deservedly. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "expect" in English means: To think or believe something will happen, or someone will arrive., To think that something is likely to be true or likely to happen., To demand something from someone because it is a duty or part of their job..

The phonetic transcription of "expect" is /ɪkˈspekt/ in British English and /ɪkˈspekt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "expect": anticipate, assume, await, hope, foresee, presume, predict.

Example usage of "expect": "I expect he will be late for the meeting again this time.". More examples on the page.