expectant 1 of 2

adjective

ik-ˈspek-tənt How to pronounce expectant (audio)
Definition of expectantnext
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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

expectant

2 of 2

noun

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of expectant
Adjective
That feature allows expectant parents to include costly essentials on their registries without asking one person to cover the full price. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 22 July 2026 Like most expectant parents, Briana Faucette heard the typical warnings about sleepless nights. — Roni Robbins, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
Noun
But for the design-minded expectants, choosing items for the registry can feel like a compromise between function and aesthetics. — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 24 June 2026 In another post, the expectant mom shared some behind-the-scenes footage from her maternity shoot. — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for expectant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expectant
  1. eager
  2. pregnant
  3. candidate
  4. watchful
  5. hopeful
  6. enthusiastic
  7. applicant
  8. anticipatory
Adjective
  • The service Everyone on staff is friendly and eager to assist.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Data center builders, semiconductor companies, power providers and cybersecurity firms are far less constrained, according to Cramer, because lenders remain eager to finance their growth.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of eager
Adjective
  • It is also recommended for all pregnant people between 32 and 36 weeks' gestation.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The manufacturer warns they should not be used on high-risk populations such as children, pregnant women or disabled people.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of pregnant
Noun
  • Beshear has also campaigned and advertised hard for Democratic candidate Zach Dembo, who is taking on GOP candidate Ralph Alvarado in the open 6th District seat around Lexington.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Twelve candidates are on the presidential ballot, but only Lula and Bolsonaro are thought to have a real chance of becoming Brazil's next head of state.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of candidate
Adjective
  • While CIOs and CTOs have been keeping a watchful eye on rogue AI agents from OpenAI, Anthropic, and other major AI labs, within enterprises, the bet on these autonomous systems is only getting bigger.
    — John Kell, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Corie Walsh, 40, the Illinois mother accused of killing her 2-year-old son Barrett, entered a not guilty plea under the watchful eye of her husband, whom she is accused of attempting to poison.
    — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of watchful
Noun
  • Four other presidential hopefuls trail behind Lula and the younger Bolsanaro in the polls.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Two vocal supporters of Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Xavier Becerra filed a formal campaign finance complaint against his rival, Steve Hilton, on Tuesday over the Republican campaign’s use of paid online promoters.
    — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of hopeful
Adjective
  • Another enthusiastic response at the summit came from Vermont, formerly home to the 650 MW Vermont-Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, which closed in 2014.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
  • But while an enthusiastic and wider-than-ever audience may be listening now, the Grammys have long appeared inured to such outside influence.
    — Leila Cobo, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of enthusiastic
Noun
  • And for the first time, applicants for permanent residency will be evaluated based on their Japanese language skills as well as their grasp of rules and customs.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Tokyo Enmusubi applicants must complete an online interview, on top of photo identification, proof of income and single status.
    — Matthew Tan, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of applicant
Adjective
  • Young is making quick decisions and firing a lot of anticipatory balls before his receivers are even out of their cuts.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Instead of requiring you to check it, the interface becomes conversational and anticipatory.
    — Antoine Sallis, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of anticipatory

Browse Nearby Words

expectancy
expectant
expectantly
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Cite this Entry

“Expectant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expectant. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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