expect

7 definitions • 14 examples

to think or believe something will happen, or someone will arrive:

We are expecting a lot of applicants for the job.

I expect (that) you'll find it somewhere in your bedroom.

I expect (that) he'd have left anyway.

[ + to infinitive ] He didn't expect to see me.

be fully expected to The financial performance of the business is fully expected (= almost certain) to improve.

half expect someone to do something We were half expecting you not to come back.

normal and what usually happens:

All parents of small children get tired. It's to be expected.

to think that someone should behave in a particular way or do a particular thing:

expect someone to do something Borrowers are expected to (= should) return books on time.

expect something from someone I expect punctuality from my students.

to be pregnant:

She shouldn't be lifting those boxes if she's expecting.

to think or believe that something will happen, or that someone will arrive:

[ T ] We are expecting about 100 people for the lecture.

[ T ] His plane is expected to land at about 7:30 this evening.

[ + to infinitive ] We expected to see her here, but I guess she decided not to come.

To expect is also to ask for something to happen because you think you have a right to ask for it:

[ T ] The boss wants me to work this weekend – that’s expecting a lot!

If you say that a woman is expecting, you mean that she is pregnant.