expect, hope, look mean to await some occurrence or outcome. expect implies a high degree of certainty and usually involves the idea of preparing or envisioning.

Expect, hope or wait? We use expect to say that we believe that something will happen. We use expect in the following main patterns: …

To expect is to look forward to the likely occurrence or appearance of someone or something: "We should not expect something for nothing—but we all do and call it Hope" (Edgar W. Howe).

EXPECT definition: to look forward to; regard as likely to happen; anticipate the occurrence or the coming of. See examples of expect used in a sentence.

Expect implies confidently believing, usually for good reasons, that an event will occur: to expect a visit from a friend. Anticipate is to look forward to an event and even to picture it: Do you anticipate trouble?

Jan 20, 2026 · expect (third-person singular simple present expects, present participle expecting, simple past and past participle expected) I expect to be able to walk again after getting over my broken leg. …

expect definition: wait for or await. Check meanings, examples, usage tips, pronunciation, domains, and related words. Discover expressions like "expect miracles", "expect the unexpected", "still, what can …

Definition of expect. English dictionary and integrated thesaurus for learners, writers, teachers, and students with advanced, intermediate, and beginner levels.

If you tell someone not to expect something, you mean that the thing is unlikely to happen as they have planned or imagined, and they should not hope that it will.

• You expect that something will happen: We expect that we will arrive at about midday. • You say that you expected that something would happen: They had not expected that there would be so much traffic.