Anticipate

To expect an event and feel some emotion or readiness before it arrives.

Reach for it when expressing informed expectation or pleasant looking-forward

Organizers anticipate a larger crowd for this year's lantern walk.

• everyday

  expect

  a future event seems likely without strong emotion

  not when Expectation alone does not suggest pleasure or preparation.

• warm

  look forward to

  positive feeling about the future is central

  not when This phrase cannot describe preparing for an unwelcome problem.

• professional

  predict

  evidence supports a claim about what will happen

  not when A prediction can be detached and need not guide action.

• literary

  await

  formal or patient waiting suits the sentence

  not when Await suggests passivity rather than active foresight.

To act ahead of time because a need or difficulty can be foreseen.

Reach for it when crediting preparation that addresses something before it becomes urgent

The design anticipates future demand for bicycle storage.

• everyday

  plan for

  practical preparation matters more than accurate prediction

  not when People can plan for events they consider unlikely.

• professional

  preempt

  early action prevents a specific threat or objection

  not when Preemption is adversarial and too forceful for routine needs.

• formal

  foresee

  recognizing a future development is the key ability

  not when Foreseeing stops before the preventive action implied here.

• doubt
• overlook
• be surprised by
• react belatedly

• eagerly anticipate

  Residents eagerly anticipate the reopening of the pool.

• anticipate demand

  The warehouse uses seasonal records to anticipate demand.

• anticipate a problem

  Experienced guides anticipate a problem before weather closes the pass.