expect Hear it!

expect Definition

ex·pect (ek spekt′, ik-)

transitive verb

  1. to look for as likely to occur or appear; look forward to; anticipate I expected you sooner
  2. to look for as due, proper, or necessary to expect a reward
  3. Informal to suppose; presume; guess
  4. Obsolete to wait for

Etymology: L expectare, exspectare < ex-, out + spectare, to look, freq. of specere, to see: see spectacle

expect Related Forms

ex·pect′·able adjective

expect Idioms

be expecting

Informal to be pregnant

expect Synonyms

expect

v.

  1. To anticipate

    await, look forward to, hope for, foresee; see anticipate 1, count on.

  2. To require

    demand, insist upon, exact; see require 2.

  3. *To assume

    presume, suppose, suspect; see assume 1. See syn. study at anticipate.

expect Usage Examples

Object

  • outcome: Here is an example of the expected outcomes for History at KS3.
  • anything: As one would expect, anything conventional - particularly I-Mag - was out the question.
  • standard: I shall expect a very high standard from you That was the end of the meeting.
  • growth: All sectors expect further growth in business volumes in the third quarter, with business with private customers remaining particularly buoyant.
  • reply: If this is not possible we will explain why and give you a date by which you can expect a full reply.
  • date: The next expected renewal date for the Partnership Marketing roster is April 2010.

Preposition: that

student: It is expected that students and staff will make reasonable efforts to resolve matters at the outset.

Noun phrase with adjective complement

less: I wouldn't expect anything less than a full refund, and a real effort to find a replacement photographer.

Adjective complement

more: Would not expect more than 2-3 goals maximum per year.

Modifying Another Word

  • reasonably: Students can reasonably expect their own rooms to be places where their individual preferences are respected and not ignored.
  • normally: For situations, other than medical or last minute computer problems, you are normally expected to submit the request 7 days in advance.

Used with why or when

  • when: Explains what GUM clinics are and what can be expected when you visit one.
  • that: I don't expect that was in the local press at the time!

Infinitive complement

  • attend: Servers are expected to attend Church on a regular basis, whether on the serving schedule or not.
  • see: The guards behave with the same cruelty you expect to see from SS officers in lurid second world war movies.
  • pay: Expect to pay from £ 9.95 to £ 19.95.
  • contribute: Members would be expected to contribute at least 3-4 days per month.
  • continue: In the short term at least, the overall upward trend is expected to continue.
  • find: Not the first thing you expect to find in a rural village!

Preposition: of

graduate: Like other Music courses at Leeds, the program aims to balance personal exploration and the skills and knowledge expected of a music graduate.