Meaning & use
expectant
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Feeling or showing excitement about something that is going to happen soon.
Grammar: Usually used before a noun: 'an expectant crowd'.
Patterns
- expectant crowd
- expectant look
- expectant silence
The expectant audience fell silent as the curtain rose.
She gave an expectant smile when she saw the gift.
There was an expectant hush before the results were read.
adjectivebefore a noun
Referring to a woman who is pregnant or parents who are about to have a baby.
Grammar: Common in phrases like 'expectant mother' or 'expectant parents'.
Patterns
- expectant mother
- expectant parents
- expectant father
The expectant mother was advised to rest.
Expectant parents often take childbirth classes.
He was an expectant father, nervously waiting outside the delivery room.
Word forms
| comparative | more expectant |
|---|---|
| superlative | most expectant |
Common combinations
- expectant mother
- The expectant mother was in her third trimester.
- expectant crowd
- The expectant crowd cheered as the team appeared.
- expectant silence
- An expectant silence filled the room before the announcement.
- expectant look
- He gave her an expectant look, waiting for an answer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- eager
- Focuses on strong desire; 'expectant' emphasizes waiting for something specific.
- anticipating
- More neutral; 'expectant' often includes excitement or hope.
- pregnant
- Directly describes the condition; 'expectant' is a polite, indirect way to refer to a pregnant woman.
Opposites
Word family
- expect verb
- To think that something will happen.
- expectancy noun
- A state of hoping or waiting for something.
- expectation noun
- A belief that something will happen.
- expectantly adverb
- In a way that shows you are waiting for something.
Commonly confused: expectant or expecting?
expectant vs expecting
'Expecting' is often used informally to mean 'pregnant' (e.g., 'She is expecting'), while 'expectant' is an adjective used before nouns like 'mother' or 'parents'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'expectant' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Expectant' is an adjective used before a noun to describe people who are waiting excitedly. Option A correctly uses it before 'crowd'. The other options use it as a verb or in wrong grammatical patterns.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “expectant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.