The difference between Await and Wait

When used as nouns, await means a waiting for, whereas wait means a delay.

When used as verbs, await means to wait for, whereas wait means to delay movement or action until the arrival or occurrence of.

check bellow for the other definitions of Await and Wait

  1. Await as a verb (transitive, formal):

    To wait for.

    Examples:

    "I await your reply to my letter."

  2. Await as a verb (transitive):

    To expect.

  3. Await as a verb (transitive):

    To be in store for; to be ready or in waiting for.

    Examples:

    "Glorious rewards await the good in heaven; eternal suffering awaits mortal sinners in hell."

  4. Await as a verb (transitive, intransitive):

    To serve or attend; to wait on, wait upon.

  5. Await as a verb (intransitive):

    To watch, observe.

  6. Await as a verb (intransitive):

    To wait; to stay in waiting.

  1. Await as a noun (obsolete):

    A waiting for; ambush.

  2. Await as a noun (obsolete):

    Watching, watchfulness, suspicious observation.

  1. Wait as a verb (transitive, now, rare):

    To delay movement or action until the arrival or occurrence of; to await. (Now generally superseded by “wait for”.)

  2. Wait as a verb (intransitive):

    To delay movement or action until some event or time; to remain neglected or in readiness.

    Examples:

    "'Wait here until your car arrives."

  3. Wait as a verb (intransitive, US):

    To wait tables; to serve customers in a restaurant or other eating establishment.

    Examples:

    "She used to wait down at the Dew Drop Inn."

  4. Wait as a verb (transitive, obsolete):

    To attend on; to accompany; especially, to attend with ceremony or respect.

  5. Wait as a verb (obsolete):

    To attend as a consequence; to follow upon; to accompany.

  6. Wait as a verb (obsolete, colloquial):

    To defer or postpone (especially a meal).

    Examples:

    "to wait dinner"

  7. Wait as a verb (intransitive):

    To remain celibate while one's lover is unavailable.

  1. Wait as a noun:

    A delay.

    Examples:

    "I had a very long wait at the airport security check."

  2. Wait as a noun:

    An ambush.

    Examples:

    "They lay in wait for the patrol."

  3. Wait as a noun (obsolete):

    One who watches; a watchman.

  4. Wait as a noun (in the plural, obsolete, UK):

    Hautboys, or oboes, played by town musicians.

    Examples:

    "rfquotek Halliwell"

  5. Wait as a noun (in the plural, archaic, UK):

    Musicians who sing or play at night or in the early morning, especially at Christmas time; serenaders; musical watchmen. [formerly waites, wayghtes.]

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