Thesaurus:wait

Thesaurus

wait

English

Verb

Sense: to delay movement or action until some event or time; to remain neglected or in readiness

Synonyms

• abide(obsolete)
• back that train up
• bide(archaic or dialect)
• bide one's time(idiomatic)
• expect(obsolete)
• defer
• hang on(idiomatic)
• hold on(idiomatic)
• hold one's breath(idiomatic)
• hold one's horses(idiomatic)
• hold one's water(idiomatic)
• hold out(idiomatic)
• mark time
• stand by(idiomatic)
• stay
• twiddle one's thumbs(idiomatic)
• wait

Antonyms

• act
• grasp[⇒ thesaurus]
• grasp the nettle
• jump at the chance
• jump on
• go it blind(slang)
• jump the gun(idiomatic)
• shoot first and ask questions later(US,idiomatic)
• shoot from the hip(idiomatic)

Hyponyms

• cool one's heels(idiomatic)
• kick one's heels(idiomatic)

See also

• Thesaurus:wait for(transitive)
• Thesaurus:deferment
• Thesaurus:procrastinate

Further reading

• “133. lateness”inRoget's Thesaurus,T. Y. Crowell Co., 1911.
• “wait”inMoby Thesaurus II,Grady Ward, 1996.