expectverb
uk/ɪkˈspekt/us/ɪkˈspekt/expect verb (THINK)
B1 [ T ] to think or believe something will happen, or someone will arrive:
We are expecting a lot of applicants for the job.
[ + (that) ] I expect (that) you'll find it somewhere in your bedroom.
I expect (that) he'd have left anyway.
[ + to infinitive ] He didn't expect to see me.
The financial performance of the business is fully expected (= almost certain) to improve.
We were half expecting you not to come back.
(only) to be expected
normal and what usually happens:
All parents of small children get tired. It's to be expected.
More examples
- I don't expect we'll have any more trouble from him.
- Gosh, I didn't expect to see you here!
- I'd expected to put weight on when I gave up smoking, but I didn't.
- Our department expects to make five new appointments this year alone.
- This is your captain speaking. We expect to be landing at London Heathrow in an hour's time.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Planning, expecting and arranging
- accidentally
- accidentally on purpose idiom
- advertent
- advisedly
- aim
- aim at sth
- calculate
- engineer
- I might have known idiom
- in the pipeline idiom
- intend
- intent
- intention
- outlook
- promise
- reckon on sth
- scheme
- scientific
- see sth coming idiom
- set sth up
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Habitual and customary
expect verb (DEMAND)
B2 [ T ] to think that someone should behave in a particular way or do a particular thing:
I expect punctuality from my students.
[ + to infinitive ] Borrowers are expected to (= should) return books on time.
More examples
- We expect these practices to cease forthwith.
- Some people expect instant gratification.
- You shouldn't expect others to do your work for you.
- It annoys me that she just expects us to help.
- The governors and the education authority expect all pupils to attend school assembly.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Giving orders & commands
- all-points bulletin
- bade
- boss
- bossyboots
- chain of command
- charge
- crack the whip idiom
- defy
- demand
- enjoin
- forget
- harry
- lay down the law idiom
- mandate
- ordain
- order sb around
- overbearing
- prescribed
- steamroller
- stick
See more results »
expect verb (BE PREGNANT)
be expecting (a baby)
B2 to be pregnant:
She shouldn't be lifting those boxes if she's expecting.
Kate and Dom are expecting a baby.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Obstetrics: pregnancy
- anti-choice
- artificial insemination
- backstreet abortion
- carry
- child
- ectopic pregnancy
- embryo
- embryonic
- family
- fruitful
- full-term
- have a bun in the oven idiom
- IVF
- late-term
- pregnancy
- pro-choice
- pro-life
- surrogacy
- trimester
- trouble
See more results »
expected
adjective [ before noun ] uk/ɪkˈspek.tɪd/us/ɪkˈspek.tɪd/
B2
The expected counter-attack never happened.