May 12, 2026 · expect, hope, look mean to await some occurrence or outcome. expect implies a high degree of certainty and usually involves the idea of preparing or envisioning. Expect, hope or wait? We use expect to say that we believe that something will happen. We use expect in the following main patterns: … EXPECT definition: to look forward to; regard as likely to happen; anticipate the occurrence or the coming of. See examples of expect used in a sentence. Learn what expect means with clear definitions, pronunciation, synonyms, and real-world examples. Simple explanations to help you use expect correctly. Find 89 different ways to say EXPECT, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.