expecting 1 of 2

adjective

as in pregnant
containing unborn young within the body the special nutritional needs of expecting women

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

expecting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of expect
as in anticipating
to believe in the future occurrence of (something) we expect their arrival late this afternoon

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of expecting
Adjective
This news marks the first time the National Zoo has had an expecting Asian elephant in nearly 25 years. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025
Verb
Amenities and experiences I arrived at Saltus expecting a base for exploring the Dolomites, but the hotel itself quickly became the main event. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026 So Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Jets owner Woody Johnson probably weren’t expecting to be roasted by Gaffigan. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026 The MacIvors were expecting their first child, planning to name him Kyle Patrick. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026 Baltimore Baby Bonus would provide $1,000 payments If voters approve Question 1, the Baltimore Baby Bonus, in the November midterm elections, new and expecting parents would receive a one-time payment of $1,000. — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 Economists polled by Dow Jones are expecting the number of people claiming unemployment benefits to come in at 200,000. — Hugh Leask,sean Conlon, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026 Even a public servant like, say, Taverner took the First Desk job expecting to solve threats to national security, not become one herself, but everything changed shape. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026 Founders are also gearing up for growth, with 85% expecting revenues to rise over the next 12 months and three in four planning to increase headcount. — Sophie Dembinski, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 The two-time Oscar winner and entrepreneur Schneider are expecting their third child, Swank announced in a wholesome family video shared Wednesday to Instagram. — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expecting
  1. pregnant
  2. anticipating
  3. gone
  4. awaiting
Adjective
  • The criminal complaint states Israel was between 17 and 18 weeks pregnant.
    — WCCO Staff, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • There is not enough evidence on the effects of ingesting large amounts or highly concentrated clove formulations, especially for people who are pregnant or nursing.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of pregnant
Verb
  • Fisher comes advertised as a high-IQ linebacker with a knack for anticipating plays before the snap.
    — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Utilities have no shortage of operational information at hand; the challenge is to connect it with predictive analysis, so operators can move beyond reacting to failures and toward anticipating them.
    — Charlie Sanchez, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of anticipating
Adjective
  • An America lost to time, remembered in photos The mall’s future is now determined — and its past reveals a version of America perhaps long gone.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Suddenly, photos, videos, or important documents are just… gone.
    — StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 15 May 2026
Definition of gone
Verb
  • According to PitchBook, there have been 504 defense PE deals but just 101 exits since 2021, although the comparison includes add-on acquisitions and therefore does not directly measure the proportion of investments awaiting an exit.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
  • CharlotteFive has reached out to the chain for an update and is awaiting a response.
    — Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of awaiting

Browse Nearby Words

expectedly
expecting
expectorate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Expecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expecting. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All