30 Idioms for Waiting

Waiting is an inevitable part of life—whether it’s for something exciting, something stressful, or something uncertain. We all experience moments of waiting in various forms, but the English language offers a multitude of idioms that creatively describe the process, emotions, and experiences that come with it. From waiting in anticipation to waiting for something that never seems to arrive, these idioms help capture the nuances of patience, impatience, and the passage of time.

In this article, we’ll explore 30 idioms for waiting, each with its meaning, example sentence, and alternative ways to express the same idea. These idioms will enrich your vocabulary and help you convey your feelings about waiting in more expressive ways.

1. Bide your time

Meaning: To wait patiently for the right moment to take action
In a Sentence:
– “She knew the opportunity would come, so she decided to bide her time.”
– “He’s biding his time until the right job offer arrives.”
Other Ways to Say: Wait patiently / Be patient

2. Sit tight

Meaning: To wait without moving or making any changes, often in a situation of uncertainty
In a Sentence:
– “The storm is coming, so just sit tight and stay indoors.”
– “You’ll need to sit tight and wait for further instructions.”
Other Ways to Say: Wait patiently / Stay put

3. On tenterhooks

Meaning: To be in a state of anxious or nervous waiting
In a Sentence:
– “She was on tenterhooks waiting for the test results.”
– “We were all on tenterhooks waiting for the movie’s big reveal.”
Other Ways to Say: Nervous / Anxious

4. Wait for the dust to settle

Meaning: To wait until a situation becomes clearer or more stable after a disturbance or confusion
In a Sentence:
– “Let’s wait for the dust to settle before making any big decisions.”
– “She decided to wait for the dust to settle after the big meeting.”
Other Ways to Say: Wait for things to calm down / Let things settle

5. Twiddle your thumbs

Meaning: To wait idly or do nothing while waiting for something to happen
In a Sentence:
– “I had nothing to do but twiddle my thumbs while waiting for the meeting to start.”
– “He hated having to twiddle his thumbs during the long wait at the airport.”
Other Ways to Say: Do nothing / Idle away time

6. Wait in the wings

Meaning: To be ready and prepared for a situation or opportunity, but not yet involved
In a Sentence:
– “She was waiting in the wings for her chance to take over the project.”
– “The assistant is waiting in the wings to step in when the manager leaves.”
Other Ways to Say: Ready to step in / On standby

7. Kill time

Meaning: To spend time doing something to make the waiting period feel shorter
In a Sentence:
– “I had a few hours to kill before my flight, so I explored the city.”
– “We played cards to kill time while waiting for the rain to stop.”
Other Ways to Say: Pass time / Waste time

8. Wait with bated breath

Meaning: To wait anxiously or eagerly for something to happen
In a Sentence:
– “She waited with bated breath for the results of the competition.”
– “They waited with bated breath to hear if their proposal would be accepted.”
Other Ways to Say: Wait eagerly / Be anxious

9. Hang fire

Meaning: To delay or hold off on making a decision or taking action
In a Sentence:
– “We had to hang fire on the decision until we received more information.”
– “Let’s hang fire and see how things unfold before committing.”
Other Ways to Say: Delay / Postpone

10. Stand by

Meaning: To wait and be ready to act when needed
In a Sentence:
– “The rescue team was standing by, ready to help if needed.”
– “I’ll stand by while you make the call, just let me know when it’s my turn.”
Other Ways to Say: Be ready / Wait for instructions

11. Wait on tenterhooks

Meaning: To wait with great anxiety or anticipation
In a Sentence:
– “She waited on tenterhooks, hoping for good news about the job.”
– “The whole team was waiting on tenterhooks for the final decision.”
Other Ways to Say: Anxiously await / In suspense

12. Sit on the fence

Meaning: To remain undecided or not take sides in a situation, especially while waiting to make a decision
In a Sentence:
– “I’m sitting on the fence about this issue, trying to gather more information.”
– “He’s sitting on the fence, waiting for the right moment to act.”
Other Ways to Say: Be undecided / Hesitate

13. Wait for the shoe to drop

Meaning: To wait for the inevitable bad event or outcome after something has already happened
In a Sentence:
– “I knew something was wrong, I was just waiting for the shoe to drop.”
– “After the announcement, everyone waited for the shoe to drop, wondering what the consequences would be.”
Other Ways to Say: Wait for the inevitable / Await disaster

14. Sit back and relax

Meaning: To wait calmly without doing anything or getting involved
In a Sentence:
– “We’ll sit back and relax while the professionals handle the work.”
– “You’ve done all you can, now it’s time to sit back and relax.”
Other Ways to Say: Wait calmly / Do nothing

15. Wait for the dust to settle

Meaning: To wait for a situation to calm down or stabilize before taking action
In a Sentence:
– “Let’s wait for the dust to settle before making any decisions.”
– “I’ll wait for the dust to settle after the meeting before I ask for clarification.”
Other Ways to Say: Wait for calm / Wait for clarity

16. On hold

Meaning: To be temporarily paused or delayed, often waiting for something to proceed
In a Sentence:
– “The project is on hold until we get approval from the management.”
– “My flight was delayed, so I was on hold for over an hour at the airport.”
Other Ways to Say: Delayed / Paused

17. Wait for your ship to come in

Meaning: To wait for an opportunity or good fortune to arrive, often after a period of effort or struggle
In a Sentence:
– “After years of hard work, he was finally waiting for his ship to come in.”
– “She’s waiting for her ship to come in, hoping for a breakthrough in her career.”
Other Ways to Say: Wait for success / Hope for good fortune

18. At a standstill

Meaning: To be completely stopped or halted, often due to waiting or a lack of progress
In a Sentence:
– “The negotiations were at a standstill, with no agreement in sight.”
– “The project is at a standstill because we’re waiting for approval.”
Other Ways to Say: Stuck / Stopped

19. Watch the clock

Meaning: To wait impatiently, often while watching the passage of time
In a Sentence:
– “I kept watching the clock, waiting for the workday to end.”
– “She watched the clock as the deadline for submission drew near.”
Other Ways to Say: Wait impatiently / Count the minutes

20. In the meantime

Meaning: To wait for something that will happen later, while doing something else in the interim
In a Sentence:
– “The meeting was delayed, so in the meantime, I grabbed a coffee.”
– “We’re waiting for the final report, but in the meantime, we can review the preliminary data.”
Other Ways to Say: While waiting / Until then

21. Wait until the cows come home

Meaning: To wait for a very long time, often with no clear end in sight
In a Sentence:
– “You can wait until the cows come home, but the decision won’t change.”
– “He’ll keep asking for a raise until the cows come home.”
Other Ways to Say: Wait forever / Wait indefinitely

22. Wait with bated breath

Meaning: To wait anxiously or eagerly for something to happen
In a Sentence:
– “They waited with bated breath for the announcement of the winner.”
– “I waited with bated breath for the test results.”
Other Ways to Say: Wait eagerly / Be anxious

23. In the waiting game

Meaning: To be in a situation where you have to wait for something to happen, often without being able to do anything to make it happen sooner
In a Sentence:
– “The team is in the waiting game now, hoping for approval from the board.”
– “I feel like I’m in the waiting game, waiting for the offer letter to arrive.”
Other Ways to Say: Stuck in limbo / Waiting for results

24. Waiting for the other shoe to drop

Meaning: To wait for the inevitable bad news or outcome, especially after something has already happened
In a Sentence:
– “I feel like I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop after hearing about the company’s financial issues.”
– “After all the delays, we’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop and the project to finally be canceled.”
Other Ways to Say: Await disaster / Anticipate bad news

25. Wait in line

Meaning: To wait for your turn, often in a queue or sequence
In a Sentence:
– “We had to wait in line for hours just to get tickets for the concert.”
– “You’ll need to wait in line to speak with the customer service representative.”
Other Ways to Say: Wait your turn / Queue up

26. A watched pot never boils

Meaning: Time seems to pass more slowly when you’re eagerly waiting for something to happen
In a Sentence:
– “Stop checking the clock every minute, a watched pot never boils.”
– “He kept staring at his phone, but remember, a watched pot never boils.”
Other Ways to Say: Time drags when you wait / Waiting makes it feel longer

27. Sit on pins and needles

Meaning: To feel anxious or nervous while waiting for something to happen
In a Sentence:
– “I was sitting on pins and needles waiting for my exam results.”
– “She was sitting on pins and needles, hoping to hear back from the job interview.”
Other Ways to Say: Be anxious / Wait nervously

28. Hurry up and wait

Meaning: The situation where you’re in a rush to get something done, but then have to wait once you’ve completed your task
In a Sentence:
– “I spent the whole day in a hurry to catch my flight, only to hurry up and wait at the airport.”
– “The preparations were quick, but then we had to hurry up and wait for the presentation to start.”
Other Ways to Say: Rush to wait / Anticipate delay

29. Wait for the right moment

Meaning: To hold off on acting or making a decision until the right opportunity arises
In a Sentence:
– “She’s waiting for the right moment to bring up the topic with her manager.”
– “He’s waiting for the right moment to propose.”
Other Ways to Say: Be patient / Wait for the right time

30. Put something on the back burner

Meaning: To delay or postpone something for later, often because more urgent matters need attention
In a Sentence:
– “We’ve decided to put the project on the back burner for now and focus on more immediate tasks.”
– “Her idea was great, but it’s on the back burner until we finish the current work.”
Other Ways to Say: Delay / Postpone

Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks using the correct idiom from the list:

1. The meeting is taking longer than expected, so we’ll have to __________.
2. He couldn’t stand it any longer and was __________ waiting for the results.
3. We’ve made all the arrangements, now we just need to __________ for the event to begin.
4. After hearing all the bad news, she felt like she was __________, waiting for more trouble.
5. The game was delayed, and we had to __________ for the rain to stop.
6. The project is at a __________ because the approval process is taking too long.
7. “I’ll be there soon,” she said, and we just had to __________.
8. He kept looking at the clock, unable to __________ as the time dragged on.
9. The holiday is still a month away, but I’m __________ for the time to come faster.
10. We’re stuck in this issue, but we’ll just have to __________ until the company resolves it.

Answer Key

1. sit tight
2. on tenterhooks
3. bide your time
4. waiting for the shoe to drop
5. wait for the dust to settle
6. standstill
7. wait in the wings
8. watch the clock
9. wait for your ship to come in
10. sit on the fence

Conclusion

Waiting is something we all experience, often filled with anxiety, anticipation, or just a sense of time dragging on. These 30 idioms for waiting capture the emotional and mental states associated with waiting, from eagerly awaiting something with “bated breath” to patiently “biding your time” until the right moment.

Using these idioms helps enrich the way we talk about waiting, whether it’s a short delay or a prolonged period of uncertainty. Whether you’re trying to stay patient, manage anxiety, or simply pass the time, these idioms provide creative and expressive ways to communicate the feeling of waiting.