Expectant
adj.hopeful, joyfulliterary
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.
Choose between these
6- playful
on the edge of your seat
when suspenseful attention suits informal narration
not when This implies dramatic tension and overstates quiet, patient expectancy.
- everyday
when readiness to participate accompanies anticipation
not when Eager people want to act; an expectant observer may simply wait.
- warm
when desire for a good outcome matters more than its nearness
not when Hope can persist without any clear expectation that the event will occur soon.
- professional
anticipatory
when preparation or feeling before an event needs technical precision
not when This analytical term leaves the emotional outlook unspecified.
- formal
when someone is ready for an imminent change or action
not when Poised emphasizes preparation and composure, not the inward feeling of expectation.
- literary
waiting with bated breath
when intense suspense deserves a familiar image
not when The phrase is clichéd and can make ordinary hope sound theatrical.
Said against
4- unexpectant
- indifferent
- unprepared
- resigned
It naturally appears in
3- expectant crowd
The expectant crowd left the front row open for the children's choir.
- expectant silence
An expectant silence settled over the workshop before the engine started.
- expectant mood
The first warm evening created an expectant mood in the square.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English adjective, adjective sense meaning feeling that something is about to happen opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.