CONFUSING WORDS: Await vs. Wait

Both AWAIT and WAIT mean almost the same thing – they convey the idea that something is expected. But they are used differently, so be careful.

AWAIT requires an object. For example,
‘I await your answer’.

The object of ‘AWAIT’ is normally inanimate, not a person, and often abstract.

So you wouldn’t say, ‘John was awaiting me’.

WAIT does not require an object, but when there is an object we use the preposition ‘for’ to link to the object.

For example,
‘John was waiting for me.’
‘The dog waited.’ (no object)

The other difference between the two verbs is the level of formality.
AWAIT is more formal than WAIT – it would be used in formal letters, for example.

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