wait

/weɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /weɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwāt/ (ame, mw)

wait — verb

1. to remain in one place or pause what you are doing, expecting a person to appear

1.動詞不及物A1
釋義

to remain in one place or pause what you are doing, expecting a person to appear, an event to happen, or the right moment to come

例句

Pim waited for the school bus at the corner for twenty minutes.

wait for + noun phrase indicating object waited for

The doctor asked Elena to wait in the examination room.

同義詞
  • hold on

    more informal; usually used for short pauses

  • stay put

    emphasises not moving from a location

  • await

    more formal; can take a direct object without 'for'

反義詞
  • leave

    to go away from a place rather than staying

  • go ahead

    to proceed without delay

文法句型

wait for + noun/pronoun

wait + to-infinitive

wait + adverb/prepositional phrase

用法筆記

The person or thing being waited for is introduced by the preposition 'for' — never used as a direct object.

常見錯誤

❌I waited him at the station.
✅I waited for him at the station.
💡The object of waiting always needs the preposition 'for'.
❌She is waiting the bus.
✅She is waiting for the bus.
💡Same rule applies to things, not just people.

2. to be postponed or set aside because the matter is not urgent enough to demand a

2.動詞不及物B1
釋義

to be postponed or set aside because the matter is not urgent enough to demand attention now

例句

The repair work on the roof can wait until next spring.

can wait + until + time phrase to indicate postponement

Amani decided that her travel plans would have to wait until she finished school.

同義詞
  • hold

    informal; 'hold the report' means delay it

  • postpone

    more formal; implies a new later time has been set

  • defer

    very formal; used in business and legal contexts

反義詞
  • hurry

    to act or move quickly

  • rush

    to do something immediately or faster than usual

文法句型

subject + can/can't wait

subject + wait until + time

用法筆記

Often used with 'can', 'can't', or 'will have to' to express whether something is urgent or not. The subject is usually a task, event, or decision — not a person.

常見錯誤

❌The meeting waits until Friday.
✅The meeting can wait until Friday.
💡This sense requires a modal verb ('can', 'must', 'will have to').
❌I will wait the dishes.
✅I will do the dishes later.' / 'The dishes can wait.
💡In this sense, 'wait' does not take a direct object.

3. used on official road signs to tell drivers that stopping a vehicle is not allow

3.動詞不及物B1
釋義

used on official road signs to tell drivers that stopping a vehicle is not allowed, even for a short time

例句

A red sign at the entrance said "No Waiting" in bold white letters.

'No Waiting' as a fixed sign phrase

The police officer gave Takeshi a ticket for parking where waiting was not allowed.

同義詞
  • no parking

    more widely understood; used in everyday language and American signs

文法句型

No Waiting (on traffic signs)

用法筆記

This sense appears only on official traffic signs. In everyday speech, people say 'no parking' instead. In American English, 'No Standing' or 'No Stopping' is used on signs for the same restriction.

4. to perform the work of serving meals and taking orders from seated customers in

4.動詞及物B1
釋義

to perform the work of serving meals and taking orders from seated customers in a dining establishment

例句

Hugo waited tables at a busy Italian restaurant during his college years.

idiomatic phrase 'wait tables' meaning work as a server

Heather has been waiting on customers at the cafe since last summer.

wait on + person being served

同義詞
  • serve

    broader meaning; can apply to any service role

  • work as a server

    gender-neutral and common in modern use

反義詞
  • dine

    to eat as a customer rather than serve food

文法句型

wait + tables/on + noun

wait + on + people

用法筆記

In American English, 'wait tables' is the most common expression. In British English, 'wait at table' is also used. The person who does this job is called a waiter (male) or waitress (female); 'server' is a gender-neutral alternative.

常見錯誤

❌She is waiting the tables.
✅She waits tables at a downtown restaurant.
💡The verb 'wait' in this sense is not used with the progressive 'is waiting' for a permanent job; more naturally 'waits tables'.

wait — noun