expectant
adjective/ɪkˈspektənt/
/ɪkˈspektənt/
- hoping for something, especially something good and exciting
- children with expectant faces waiting for the fireworks to begin
- A sudden roar came from the expectant crowd.
- An expectant hush came over the room.
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- expectant mother/father/parent used to describe somebody who is going to have a baby soon or become a father
- Smoking by expectant mothers may increase the chances of brain damage in their babies.
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin exspectant- ‘expecting’, from the verb exspectare ‘look out for’, from ex- ‘out’ + spectare ‘to look’.
Check pronunciation:
expectant