1
as in eager
having or showing signs of eagerly awaiting something
expectant crowds gathered at the spot where the President was scheduled to make an appearance
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pregnant
containing unborn young within the body
a medication that should not be taken by expectant women without permission from their doctors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in candidate
one who seeks an office, honor, position, or award
divinity students who were all expectants for a curacy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expectant
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
Advertisement Get comfortable with silence A moment of silence can feel like an eternity, especially when the mic is in your hands and a sea of expectant eyes are staring right at you.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
Michael D. Snediker, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2025
In the end, this expectant father learned a valuable — and slightly embarrassing — lesson: sometimes, the best thing to say during a poignant moment is nothing at all.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for expectant
Adjective
For expectant parents, that can mean safer deliveries and more confident medical teams in the room.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
Advertisement Get comfortable with silence A moment of silence can feel like an eternity, especially when the mic is in your hands and a sea of expectant eyes are staring right at you.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
Meniscus augur & hour of errors as the mercury rag spills its rings
from his last good pore, his teeth shaped in greenhouse suet or little
expectant pots of orchid balm in snow.
—Michael D. Snediker, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2025
In the end, this expectant father learned a valuable — and slightly embarrassing — lesson: sometimes, the best thing to say during a poignant moment is nothing at all.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for expectant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expectant
Adjective
-
Trump had used the act to plaster taxes on imports with eager abandon.—
Paul Wiseman,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Kay isn’t some kind of unhinged chaos agent or emotional thrill-seeker (well, maybe just a little), but rather an adventurous artist eager to dig deep beneath the surface.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Sandra Birchmore was 23 and pregnant in 2021 when she was allegedly murdered by her married cop boyfriend, Matthew Farwell.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Seth’s girlfriend is pregnant, and the couple’s baby girl is due May 6, James said.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Ross Perot, Electronic Data Systems The Texas billionaire and two-time presidential candidate may have had the most cinematic route of the bunch.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The candidates themselves must live within the district’s boundaries, which stretch across large portions of northwest and west-central Georgia and include parts of western metro Atlanta.—
Drew Kann,
AJC.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Today, Tiny is typically displayed on ground level elsewhere in the park during Fright Fest, presumably under the watchful eyes of security cameras.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Jonsson plays Taylor, a watchful, aged-beyond-his-years introvert who has spent 13 years behind bars on a manslaughter charge — missing almost the entire life of his teenage son Adam (Cole Martin), from whom the boy’s mother is determined to keep him estranged.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Republican gubernatorial hopeful’s appearance on Dennis House’s WTNH Sunday show was intended to counter some bad news.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The Tigers are American League Central hopefuls.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Not everyone is enthusiastic about the new possibilities.—
T. M. Brown,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The vibrant purple and vivid oranges, reds, and yellows will bring in enthusiastic bees and butterflies.—
Heather Bien,
The Spruce,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
To qualify for the program, applicants must have an industrial site of at least 30 contiguous acres of land that is listed on the Arkansas Site Selection Database and that is owned or optioned by the applicant.—
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
28 Apr. 2026
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The Cato report found that in all, total green card approvals under USCIS, the agency in charge of processing immigration benefits, had been cut in half for applicants from all countries.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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These Instagram pages offer a way to reach out before ever arriving on campus, potentially assuaging anticipatory worry and first-day awkwardness.—
Mary Frances Ruskell,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
-
And also the anticipatory obedience by a lot of these news organizations who are more timid.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expectant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expectant. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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