Wait vs Await
Wait and Await are two words that are often confused when it comes to their usage. In fact, they are two different words with different meanings. The word ‘wait’ is used in the sense of ‘remain’. On the other hand, the word ‘await’ is used in the sense of ‘wait on’ or ‘expect’. This is the main difference between the two words.
Observe the two sentences,
1. He waited for a long time at the bus stop.
2. She had a long wait.
In both the sentences, you can see that the word ‘wait’ is used in the sense of ‘remain’ and hence, the meaning of the first sentence would be ‘he remained for a long time at the bus stop’, and the meaning of the second sentence would be ‘she remained for a long time’.
Observe the two sentences,
1. She awaited the results of the examination.
2. He was awaiting her arrival.
In both the sentences, you can find that the word ‘await’ is used in the sense of ‘wait on’ or ‘expect’ and hence, the meaning of the first sentence would be ‘she expected the results of the examination’ or ‘she waited on the results of the examination’. On the other hand, the meaning of the second sentence would be ‘he was expecting her arrival’ or ‘he was waiting on her arrival’.
It is interesting to note that the word ‘await’ is used as a transitive verb. This means that the verb gives rise to the direct object. On the other hand, the verb ‘wait’ is used as an intransitive verb. This means that the verb gives rise to the indirect object. This is one of the main differences between the two verbs, namely, wait and await.
The word ‘wait’ is sometimes used as a noun also as in the sentences
1. She had a long wait in the railway station.
2. He is having a long wait today.
In both the sentences, you can find that the word ‘wait’ is used as a noun instead of a verb. Thus, it is clear that the word ‘wait’ can be used either as a noun or as a verb. On the other hand, the word ‘await’ can be used only as a verb. It cannot be used a noun. On the other hand, modern English usage accepts the usage of the word ‘await’ in the noun form as well.
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