Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of wait

29 similar words · 9 opposite words

Another word for wait is await. Other synonyms of wait are serve and tend. The opposite of wait is act.

Synonyms and similar words for wait

verbTo delay movement or action until some event or time; to remain neglected or in readiness.

verbTo wait tables; to serve customers in a restaurant or other eating establishment.

  • wait onTo provide a service to (someone); to act as a servant to (someone); to serve (someone) as a waiter or waitress in a...
  • wait uponSynonym of wait on.
  • serveTo wait upon (someone) at table; to set food and drink in front of, to help (someone) to food, meals etc.

verbTo attend on; to accompany; especially, to attend with ceremony or respect.

verbTo attend as a consequence; to follow upon; to accompany.

  • attendTo wait on (someone or their instructions) as an attendant, servant, etc.; also (specifically of a gentleman-in-waiting...
  • escort
  • go with

verbTo defer or postpone (especially a meal).

  • deferTo delay, to wait.

interjectionTells the other speaker to stop talking, typing etc. for a moment, often to allow clarification.

verbDelay until.

verbMore synonyms

  • wait forTo wait until the specified event occurs.
  • tendTo wait (upon), as attendants or servants; to serve; to attend.
  • postpone
  • back that train upSaid to a person who is speaking or acting too hastily.
  • bide one's timeTo wait, especially for a suitable opportunity.
  • hang onTo wait a moment.
  • hold one's horsesTo be patient; to wait.
  • hold one's waterTo be patient; to control one's impulses.
  • hold outTo wait, or refuse in hopes of getting something better (from a negotiation, etc.).
  • mark timeTo stop making progress temporarily; to wait or stand still.
  • stand byTo wait in expectation of some event; to be ready.
  • stayTo wait; rest in patience or expectation.
  • twiddle one's thumbsTo wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation.
  • abide obsoleteTo wait in expectation.
  • bide archaic, dialectalTo wait; to be in expectation; to stay; to remain.
  • expect obsoleteTo wait for; to await.

Opposite of wait

verbMore antonyms

Meaning of wait

  1. verb To delay movement or action until some event or time; to remain neglected or in readiness.
  2. verb To wait tables; to serve customers in a restaurant or other eating establishment.
  3. verb To delay movement or action until the arrival or occurrence of; to await. (Now generally superseded by “wait for”.).

Full definition of wait

wait in other languages

Questions about synonyms of wait

What is another word for wait?
Wait has 29 synonyms on Word.ws, such as await, serve and tend.
What is the opposite of wait?
The opposite of wait is act.
What does wait mean?
Wait means to delay movement or action until some event or time; to remain neglected or in readiness.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: wait (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of wait.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/wait. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.