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Definitions

in waiting

ADJECTIVE
deferred
Synonyms
STRONGEST
delayed negotiated postponed
STRONG
adjourned assessed charged pigeonholed prolonged protracted remanded renegotiated scrubbed stalled temporized
WEAK
held up indebted on hold on the shelf staved off
Antonyms
WEAK
advanced forwarded furthered hastened hurried

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is spoken in hospital corridors and courtrooms, in waiting rooms and at kitchen tables, by those who keep pressing, keep trying, keep hoping.

From Slate • Mar. 29, 2026

As he spoke in the Oval Office on Monday, Vice President JD Vance hovered uncomfortably behind Trump’s left shoulder like a cartoon buzzard in waiting.

From Salon • Mar. 20, 2026

Phil will be without a music director, and with no one in waiting in the wings.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

They had a production deal at Netflix and another one at Spotify, and Harry secured millions of dollars to write his memoir, Spare, about a life in waiting.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Woman in waiting sounds more like someone in a train station.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood