# wait

> English word · Verb · IPA /weɪt/ · frequency rank #451

## Definitions
1. To delay movement or action until some event or time; to remain neglected or in readiness.
2. To wait tables; to serve customers in a restaurant or other eating establishment.
3. To delay movement or action until the arrival or occurrence of; to await. (Now generally superseded by “wait for”.)
4. To attend on; to accompany; especially, to attend with ceremony or respect.
5. To attend as a consequence; to follow upon; to accompany.
6. To defer or postpone (especially a meal).
7. To watch with malicious intent; to lie in wait
8. To remain faithful to one’s partner or betrothed during a prolonged period of absence.

## Etymology
From Middle English waiten, from Anglo-Norman waiter, waitier (compare French guetter from Old French gaitier, guaitier), from Frankish *wahtwēn (“to watch, guard”), derivative of Frankish *wahtu (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Germanic *wahtwō (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be fresh, cheerful, awake”).
Cognate with Old High German wahtēn (“to watch, guard”), German Low German wachten (“to wait”), Dutch wachten (“to wait, expect”), French guetter (“to watch out for”), Saterland Frisian wachtje (“to wait”), West Frisian wachtsje (“to wait”), North Frisian wachtjen (“to stand, stay put”). More at watch.
In some senses, merged or influenced by Middle English waiten, weiten (“to do good to, lie in wait for, to contrive good or harm on, catch, snare”), from Old Norse veita (“to give help to, assist, grant, cause to happen”), from Proto-Germanic *waitijaną (“to show, guide, advise, direct”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see, know”).
Largely overtook native Middle English biden, from Old English bīdan, source of bide.

## Easily confused with
- **wi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-wi)
- **wt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-wt)
- **was** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-was)
- **way** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-way)
- **war** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-war)
- **win** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-win)
- **wet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-wet)
- **wit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-wit)
- **wax** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-wax)
- **wan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-wan)
- **Wii** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-wii)
- **wig** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-wig)
- **WAL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-wal)
- **Wei** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-wei)
- **wat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-wat)
- **wis** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-wis)
- **wiz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-wiz)
- **wot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-wot)
- **wut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-wut)
- **Wie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wait-vs-wie)

## Common misspellings (5)
`awit`, `waitt`, `wati`, `wiat`, `wwait`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/wait