expect

expect meaning

expect means 'to think or believe something will happen in the future'.

expect :

to think, to believe

verb

▪ I expect it to rain tomorrow.

▪ I think it will rain tomorrow.

▪ She expects a call from her friend.

▪ She believes her friend will call.

paraphrasing

▪ anticipate – to think ahead

▪ predict – to say what will happen

▪ foresee – to see the future

▪ assume – to take for granted

Pronunciation

expect [ɪkˈspɛkt]

The stress is on 'spect' and sounds like 'ik-spekt'.

Common phrases and grammar about expect

expect - Common meaning

verb

to think, to believe

Part of Speech Changes for "expect"

▪ expectation (noun) – belief about the future

▪ expected (adjective) – thought to happen

Common Expressions with "expect"

▪ expect a result – to think of a result

▪ expect the worst – to think the worst will happen

▪ expect a call – to think someone will call

▪ expect a visitor – to think someone will visit

Important examples of expect in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC vocabulary questions, expect is often used to indicate anticipation of events or outcomes.

▪We expect the meeting to end by 3 PM.

▪We think the meeting will end by 3 PM.

Example of a confusing word: except (to exclude)

▪We except the meeting to end by 3 PM.

▪We exclude the meeting from ending by 3 PM.

"Expect" is a verb meaning "to anticipate" or "look forward to" something happening, as in "We expect the meeting to end by 3 PM." The structure "expect + object + to do something" is correct here. "Except," however, means "to exclude" and is not used in the same grammatical pattern. Saying "We except the meeting" is incorrect because it suggests exclusion rather than anticipation. Thus, "expect" is the correct choice in this context.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

Expect is commonly used as a verb with an object, and it often appears in questions about predicting outcomes.

▪They expect to finish the project soon.

▪They think they will finish the project soon.

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

expect the unexpected
means 'be ready for surprises', often used to prepare for unforeseen events.

▪In this job, you should expect the unexpected.

▪In this job, be ready for surprises.

expect too much
means 'to have unrealistic hopes', used when someone has high and possibly unrealistic expectations.

▪Don’t expect too much from the new movie.

▪Don’t have unrealistic hopes for the new movie.

Differences between similar words and expect

expect

,

anticipate

differences

Expect is used for general belief or thought about the future, while anticipate is more about preparing for something.

expect

▪I expect a delivery today.

▪I think a delivery will come today.

anticipate

▪We anticipate a busy season.

▪We prepare for a busy season.

expect

,

predict

differences

Expect is used for a general belief, while predict is used for a more specific and calculated forecast.

expect

▪She expects good weather tomorrow.

▪Experts say rain will come tomorrow.

predict

▪Experts predict rain tomorrow.

▪Experts say rain will come tomorrow.

Words with the same origin as expect

The origin of expect

expect comes from the Latin 'exspectare', which means 'to look out for' or 'to await'.

Word structure

It has the prefix ex (out), root spect (look), and means 'to look out for'.

Words with the same origin

The root of expect is spect (look). Words with the same root include inspect (to look at closely), respect (to look back), suspect (to look under).

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deliver

207

▪deliver a message

▪deliver a speech

Verb ┃

Views 4

deliver

207

to bring, to transport

▪deliver a message – to send a message

▪deliver a speech – to give a speech

Verb ┃

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expect

208

▪expect a result

▪expect the worst

current
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verb ┃

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expect

208

to think, to believe

▪expect a result – to think of a result

▪expect the worst – to think the worst will happen

Views 2

stagnant

211

not moving, not changing

▪stagnant water – water that is not moving

▪stagnant economy – economy that is not growing

expect meaning

expect :

to think, to believe

verb

paraphrasing

Pronunciation

expect [ɪkˈspɛkt]

Common phrases and grammar about expect

expect - Common meaning

verb

to think, to believe

Part of Speech Changes for "expect"

Common Expressions with "expect"

Important examples of expect in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

Example of a confusing word: except (to exclude)

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

expect

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

expect the unexpected means 'be ready for surprises', often used to prepare for unforeseen events.

expect too much means 'to have unrealistic hopes', used when someone has high and possibly unrealistic expectations.

Differences between similar words and expect

expect

,

anticipate

differences

expect

,

predict

differences

Words with the same origin as expect

The origin of expect

Word structure

Words with the same origin

Please select an image in the quiz

Previous post and next post

207

Verb ┃

Views 4

207

to bring, to transport

Verb ┃

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208

currentpost

verb ┃

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208

to think, to believe

verb ┃

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noun ┃

verb ┃

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harm, injury

noun ┃

verb ┃

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210

noun ┃

verb ┃

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210

stamp, emblem

noun ┃

verb ┃

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211

adjective ┃

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211

not moving, not changing

adjective ┃

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Same category words

economy, trends

expect

to think, to believe

expect the unexpected
means 'be ready for surprises', often used to prepare for unforeseen events.

expect too much
means 'to have unrealistic hopes', used when someone has high and possibly unrealistic expectations.

current
post