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
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 What's the male equivalent of a woman wearing sexy underwear expecting them to be seen by her date? — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 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 Interactive Brokers reported adjusted earnings of 67 cents per share, just below the 68 cents per share that analysts surveyed by LSEG were expecting. — Justina Lee,sean Conlon, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 Those are some of the new offerings international business class passengers can begin expecting out of Los Angeles this year, and across Delta’s global network in early 2027 alongside the debut of Delta’s Airbus A350-1000 suites. — Mirtha Donastorg, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 2026 Skirts reigned supreme, with buyers expecting to see an abundance of Prada midi and Dries Van Noten poster print skirts on the racks — and the sidewalks — come next summer. — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026 Oddsmakers apparently aren’t expecting another defensive struggle. — Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026 Still, Apple Hill is expecting crowds to pick up in the coming weeks as more people make their annual fall visits. — Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expecting
  1. pregnant
  2. anticipating
  3. gone
  4. awaiting
Adjective
  • Francheska Velez, 21, was three months pregnant when she was shot and killed by Hasan.
    — Connor Greene, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Swank shared a video showing four glow-in-the-dark stick figures dancing, one of whom is pregnant.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of pregnant
Verb
  • Businesses anticipating rising costs can preemptively hike prices for consumers.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
  • What if, by anticipating the regulatory frameworks by a few years, companies could also unlock more business-minded features?
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 9 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
  • But with two top-10 wins in seven games, a likely return to the rankings awaiting Sunday afternoon, Baugh’s message is starting to ring true.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Unlike Leti and Teresa’s visit to Normandy, there was no family history awaiting them, but Susan’s desire to go was reason enough.
    — Jenn Sinrich, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 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 21 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 jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

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
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All