Collocations for "waiting"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "waiting" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2025
wait
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.v
- wait and see
- wait there
- wait for me!
- wait a [minute, moment, second]!
- just you wait!
- wait [patiently, quietly]
- wait in [the rain, traffic]
- wait in [vain, anticipation]
- wait in line [for, at, in front of]
- am waiting for an answer
- wait for a [bus, taxi, train]
- had to wait [ages, 15 minutes] (for)
- wait for the (right) [moment, time, opportunity] to
- wait for her to [come, arrive, call]
- [someone, we'll] be waiting for you
- wait to [see, have, get, go, hear, be, read, find]
- can't wait to [see, find out]
- I can't wait!
- wait to be [seen, seated, heard, asked]
- wait until she [comes, goes]
- wait until [10:00 pm]
- wait before [going, beginning]
- wait while she [finishes, speaks]
- [can, will] wait another [10 minutes]
- (have to) wait it out
- have you waited [long, much]?
- don't wait up (for me)
- wait your turn
- waiting on the [clients, diners, customers]
- waiting (on) tables
- wait on your every whim
- waiting on him hand and foot
- a [long, short, quick] wait (for)
- a wait at the [airport, border, restaurant, entrance]
- there was a [long] wait at the [doctors, hairdressers, butchers]
- (have) a [long] wait between [trains, flights]
- [face, expect, endure] a long wait
- had a [patient, nervous, nerve-racking] wait (for)
- a [five-minute] wait for a [table, spot, seat]
- [will be, is] between [five] and [10] minutes' wait (for)
- there's [often, always] a wait for the [bus, train, ride]
'waiting' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
OK
- aircraft
- airplane
- ambush
- answer
- anticipation
- apology
- argument
- arrival
- bathtub
- below
- bench
- blazing
- blistering
- breath
- brush
- cab
- caller
- chant
- clearance
- coming
- company
- conclusion
- concrete
- confirmation
- convenient
- corridor
- crouch
- crowd
- crumb
- depth
- diner
- discover
- divorce
- donor
- door
- download
- dry
- eagerly
- encore
- enemy
- eternity
- eventual
- expectation
- fiancé
- fiancée
- fore
- foyer
- greet
- groom