I.
noun
ADJECTIVE
▪ endless , lengthy , long
▪
We had a long ~ to see the doctor.
▪ short
▪ agonizing , anxious , nail-biting , nerve-racking , nervous , worrying (all esp. BrE )
▪ frustrating
▪ boring , tedious
▪ two-hour , one-month , three-year , etc.
VERB + WAIT
▪ face ( esp. BrE ), have
▪
The accused faces an agonizing ~ while the jury considers its verdict.
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ for
▪
a short ~ for an ambulance
PHRASES
▪ be worth the ~
▪
The dress was so beautiful when it arrived that it was well worth the ~.
II.
verb
ADVERB
▪ a while , long
▪
You might have to ~ a while before you get an answer.
▪
Have you been ~ing long?
▪ forever
▪
We can't ~ forever.
▪ in vain
▪
They ~ed in vain for a response.
▪ quietly , silently
▪ patiently , politely
▪
He ~ed patiently while she got ready.
▪ anxiously , impatiently , nervously , tensely
▪
Their parents ~ed anxiously for news.
▪ breathlessly , eagerly , expectantly , with bated breath
▪
I ~ed with bated breath for what would happen next.
▪ about ( esp. BrE ), around
VERB + WAIT
▪ have to , must
▪
You'll have to ~ until you're older.
▪ can hardly , cannot
▪
I could hardly ~ for the weekend.
▪
I can't ~ to see their new baby.
PREPOSITION
▪ for
▪
I'm ~ing for a bus.
▪ till , until
▪
We'll have to ~ until it stops raining.
PHRASES
▪ can't afford to ~
▪
We simply cannot afford to ~ any longer.
▪ keep sb ~ing
▪
I'm sorry to have kept you ~ing.
▪ ~ and see
▪
You'll just have to ~ and see what you present is.
▪ ~ a long time
▪
She had to ~ a long time for the right man to come along.
▪ ~ a minute, moment, second, etc.
▪
Hey! Wait a minute! I'll come with you!
▪ ~ and see
▪
We'll ~ and see what the weather's like before we make a decision.
▪ ~ in line ( esp. AmE )
▪
I had to ~ in line at the bank.
▪ ~ your turn
▪
You'll have to ~ your turn. These people all come before you.
Wait is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑ cab , ↑ fan , ↑ passenger , ↑ train , ↑ vulture , ↑ work
Wait is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ minute , ↑ month , ↑ second , ↑ time , ↑ turn