Expectant
What it means
Waiting with alert hope for something likely to happen soon.
Reach for it when describing anticipation that is hopeful, focused, and not yet fulfilled
The expectant audience grew quiet as the curtain began to rise.
Words to choose between 6
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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playful
on the edge of your seat
Fits when suspenseful attention suits informal narration
Careful This implies dramatic tension and overstates quiet, patient expectancy.
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everyday
Fits when readiness to participate accompanies anticipation
Careful Eager people want to act; an expectant observer may simply wait.
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warm
Fits when desire for a good outcome matters more than its nearness
Careful Hope can persist without any clear expectation that the event will occur soon.
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professional
anticipatory
Fits when preparation or feeling before an event needs technical precision
Careful This analytical term leaves the emotional outlook unspecified.
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formal
Fits when someone is ready for an imminent change or action
Careful Poised emphasizes preparation and composure, not the inward feeling of expectation.
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literary
waiting with bated breath
Fits when intense suspense deserves a familiar image
Careful The phrase is clichéd and can make ordinary hope sound theatrical.
Opposites 4
- unexpectant
- indifferent
- unprepared
- resigned
Common phrases 3
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expectant crowd
The expectant crowd left the front row open for the children's choir.
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expectant silence
An expectant silence settled over the workshop before the engine started.
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expectant mood
The first warm evening created an expectant mood in the square.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated