Expect Expected I Expecting ɪkˈspekt High Company Year

• the company is expecting record sales this year.
• change often happens when you least expect it.
• don't expect sympathy from me!
• that's not the sort of behaviour i expect of you!

expect

Verb Forms

1. to think or believe that something will happen or that somebody will do something
• LANGUAGE BANK AT fall
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/fall_2#fall_topg_2
• The company is expecting record sales this year.
• Change often happens when you least expect it.
• Don't expect sympathy from me!
• That's not the sort of behaviour I expect of you!
• They never expected to find their dream home.
• I looked back, half expecting to see someone following me.
• Analysts expect the company to announce growth of at least 5 per cent.
• I fully expected her to refuse my offer.
• House prices are expected to rise sharply.
• Do you really expect me to believe you?
• Many people were expecting (that) the peace talks would break down.
• It is widely expected that interest rates will rise.

Extra Examples

• We are expecting a rise in food prices this month.
• You can't expect to learn a foreign language in a few months.
• I didn’t expect him to become a successful writer.
• It is expected that the report will suggest some major reforms.
• As expected, they lost the election.
• I do not necessarily expect an easy answer to this question.
• ‘Will Bill be there?’ ‘I expect so.’
• I didn't really expect them to come.
• Double the expected number of people came to the meeting.
• She confidently expects to win.
• We can expect to see an improvement in the weather over the next few days.
• My parents fully expect us to get married.
• I would expect the factory to be working again as normal by next week.
• The economy is expected to pick up in the first half of next year.
• This kind of behaviour is to be expected from a two-year-old.
• Was she really naive enough to expect that he had changed?
2. to be waiting for somebody/something to arrive, as this has been arranged
• to expect a visit/call/letter from somebody
• We were expecting him yesterday.
• They are not expected until tomorrow.
• Are you expecting visitors?
• I'm expecting an important call.
• We were expecting him to arrive yesterday.
3. to demand that somebody will do something because it is their duty or responsibility
• It is reasonable to expect changes in the way we work.
• No one has a right to expect good results without working hard.
• These are the high standards that hotel guests have come to expect.
• He's still getting over his illness, so it's unrealistic to expect too much from him.
• Are you clear what is expected of you?
• You can't reasonably expect people to pay such high taxes.
• We are expected to work on Saturdays.
• It would be unreasonable to expect them to do all that work for free.
• I expect to be paid promptly for the work.

Extra Examples

• Her parents expected high standards from her.
• They expected all their children to be high achievers.
• You are entitled to expect certain minimum standards of accommodation.
• We expect good results from our employees.
• They rightly expect to be obeyed.
• I think my parents always expected too much of me.
4. used when you think something is probably true
• ‘Will you be late?’ ‘I expect so.’
• ‘Are you going out tonight?’ ‘I don't expect so.’
• ‘Who’s eaten all the cake?’ ‘Tom, I expect/I expect it was Tom.’
5. to be pregnant
• Ann's expecting a baby in June.
• I didn't know she was expecting!
6. to be likely to happen; to be quite normal
• A little tiredness after taking these drugs is to be expected.
7. used to tell somebody not to be surprised by something
• She swore at you? What do you expect when you treat her like that?

Word Origin

• mid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘defer action, wait’): from Latin exspectare ‘look out for’, from ex- ‘out’ + spectare ‘to look’ (frequentative of specere ‘see’).