Waiting is something we all experience—whether we’re standing in line, counting down days to a big event, or holding out hope for a response. While it’s not always fun, waiting can teach us patience, anticipation, and even creativity. One of the most colorful ways to describe the experience of waiting is by using idioms—those clever expressions that pack a punch with just a few words.
These idioms don’t always mean what they literally say, but they help bring everyday moments to life in a way that’s fun and memorable. When it comes to talking about waiting, idioms can express excitement, frustration, suspense, or calm—all without using the word “wait.” In this article, you’ll explore 43 popular idioms that describe the feeling of waiting, what they mean, and how to use them in your own conversations. Plus, there’s a bonus activity at the end to help you practice.
Let’s jump into these expressions and find out just how many ways there are to talk about waiting!
Idioms for Waiting
1. On pins and needles
Meaning: Feeling nervous or anxious while waiting for something to happen.
In a Sentence: I was on pins and needles waiting to hear if I got the lead role in the school play.
Other Ways to Say: Super anxious, Full of suspense
2. Hold your horses
Meaning: Be patient or wait before doing something.
In a Sentence: Hold your horses! We’re not leaving for the movie until 6:00.
Other Ways to Say: Slow down, Be patient
3. Bated breath
Meaning: Waiting with great excitement or suspense.
In a Sentence: We waited with bated breath as the teacher announced the winners of the contest.
Other Ways to Say: Eagerly waiting, Breathless with anticipation
4. Twiddle your thumbs
Meaning: To do nothing while waiting.
In a Sentence: I had to twiddle my thumbs at the dentist’s office for nearly an hour before my turn.
Other Ways to Say: Sit around, Wait idly
5. Watch the clock
Meaning: To keep checking the time while waiting.
In a Sentence: I kept watching the clock during the last class, just waiting for the bell to ring.
Other Ways to Say: Keep checking the time, Count down the minutes
6. Drag on
Meaning: When time seems to move slowly while waiting.
In a Sentence: The last few minutes of the test really dragged on because I was ready to leave.
Other Ways to Say: Feel slow, Take forever
7. Cool your heels
Meaning: To wait for something, often longer than expected.
In a Sentence: I had to cool my heels in the waiting room while the doctor finished another appointment.
Other Ways to Say: Wait patiently, Be delayed
8. Killing time
Meaning: Doing something unimportant while waiting for something else.
In a Sentence: I was just killing time at the mall until the movie started.
Other Ways to Say: Passing time, Filling the gap
9. Like watching paint dry
Meaning: Something extremely boring, especially while waiting.
In a Sentence: Sitting through that lecture felt like watching paint dry—I couldn’t wait to leave.
Other Ways to Say: Super boring, Slow and dull
10. Hurry up and wait
Meaning: To rush to be ready, only to have to wait afterward.
In a Sentence: We got to the airport super early and then had to hurry up and wait before boarding.
Other Ways to Say: Wait after rushing, Be early with no reward
11. At the eleventh hour
Meaning: Waiting until the last possible moment to do something.
In a Sentence: He always finishes his homework at the eleventh hour, right before it’s due.
Other Ways to Say: Last minute, Just in time
12. In the pipeline
Meaning: Something that is being prepared or is coming soon.
In a Sentence: There’s a new game in the pipeline that everyone’s excited to try.
Other Ways to Say: Coming soon, In progress
13. Just around the corner
Meaning: Something is going to happen very soon.
In a Sentence: Summer vacation is just around the corner, and I can’t wait!
Other Ways to Say: Very close, Almost here
14. In limbo
Meaning: In a state of waiting where nothing is certain.
In a Sentence: My transfer request is in limbo while the school decides what to do.
Other Ways to Say: Uncertain status, No clear answer
15. A long haul
Meaning: A long period of waiting or hard effort.
In a Sentence: Recovering from surgery will be a long haul, but I’m staying positive.
Other Ways to Say: Long wait, Tough journey
16. Wait for the dust to settle
Meaning: To wait until a situation becomes clearer or calmer before taking action.
In a Sentence: Let’s wait for the dust to settle after the argument before we talk to them again.
Other Ways to Say: Wait for things to calm down, Pause before reacting
17. Sit tight
Meaning: To stay where you are and wait patiently.
In a Sentence: The teacher told us to sit tight while she graded the last test.
Other Ways to Say: Stay put, Hold on
18. All in good time
Meaning: Everything will happen when it’s supposed to.
In a Sentence: I know you’re excited, but your birthday will come—all in good time.
Other Ways to Say: Be patient, It will happen soon
19. At a snail’s pace
Meaning: Moving or happening very slowly.
In a Sentence: The line at the amusement park was moving at a snail’s pace.
Other Ways to Say: Very slow, Crawling along
20. Play the waiting game
Meaning: To wait calmly for something to happen, even if it takes time.
In a Sentence: We had to play the waiting game while the judges made their decision.
Other Ways to Say: Wait it out, Be patient
21. In due course
Meaning: After a suitable amount of time, when the time is right.
In a Sentence: You’ll learn everything in due course, so don’t worry now.
Other Ways to Say: Eventually, When the time is right
22. On hold
Meaning: Delayed or paused temporarily.
In a Sentence: Our plans for the trip are on hold until we get permission from school.
Other Ways to Say: Paused, Waiting for approval
23. Time will tell
Meaning: You’ll know the result after some time has passed.
In a Sentence: I’m not sure if the new club will succeed, but time will tell.
Other Ways to Say: Wait and see, The future will show
24. Beat the clock
Meaning: To finish something before a deadline or time limit.
In a Sentence: I managed to beat the clock and submit my project with just two minutes left.
Other Ways to Say: Finish in time, Make the deadline
25. In the nick of time
Meaning: Just before it’s too late.
In a Sentence: We arrived at the movie theater in the nick of time—right before the movie started.
Other Ways to Say: Just barely, Right on time
26. Wait it out
Meaning: To stay in a situation until it improves or ends.
In a Sentence: We had to wait it out until the storm passed.
Other Ways to Say: Stay through it, Hang in there
27. Rome wasn’t built in a day
Meaning: Important things take time to complete.
In a Sentence: Don’t rush your art project—Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Other Ways to Say: Be patient with progress, Take your time
28. On standby
Meaning: Ready and waiting to act when needed.
In a Sentence: The backup team is on standby in case anything goes wrong.
Other Ways to Say: Ready to go, Waiting for action
29. Put on the back burner
Meaning: To delay something because it’s not urgent.
In a Sentence: We put the class trip on the back burner until next semester.
Other Ways to Say: Delay it, Save it for later
30. Mark time
Meaning: To do unimportant things while waiting for something.
In a Sentence: I marked time reading comics while waiting for the bus.
Other Ways to Say: Kill time, Pass time doing little
31. Take your sweet time
Meaning: To move or act slowly, often when others are waiting.
In a Sentence: He took his sweet time getting ready, and we were late for the party.
Other Ways to Say: Move slowly, Be in no rush
32. In the wings
Meaning: Waiting quietly for the right time to act or be used.
In a Sentence: There are several new features waiting in the wings for the next app update.
Other Ways to Say: Ready in the background, Waiting for the spotlight
33. Keep someone in suspense
Meaning: To make someone wait in anticipation, often by not revealing information right away.
In a Sentence: Don’t keep me in suspense—just tell me what happened already!
Other Ways to Say: Leave someone hanging, Make someone wait
34. Bide your time
Meaning: To wait patiently for the right moment.
In a Sentence: She’s just biding her time before asking the principal for help with the project.
Other Ways to Say: Wait strategically, Be patient
35. Waiting in the wings
Meaning: Ready to take over or step in when needed.
In a Sentence: The substitute teacher was waiting in the wings in case the main teacher was absent.
Other Ways to Say: Ready to step in, On standby
36. Take a back seat
Meaning: To let someone else take the lead while you wait or observe.
In a Sentence: I took a back seat during the meeting and let the older students lead the discussion.
Other Ways to Say: Let others lead, Stay in the background
37. On the back foot
Meaning: Being in a position of disadvantage or having to wait and react.
In a Sentence: After the first round, the player was on the back foot and had to wait for a chance to strike.
Other Ways to Say: At a disadvantage, Not in control
38. Put something on ice
Meaning: To delay or pause something temporarily.
In a Sentence: We put our science project on ice until we got approval from the teacher.
Other Ways to Say: Postpone, Put on hold
39. Watch and wait
Meaning: To observe a situation without doing anything until it becomes clearer.
In a Sentence: The doctor told us to watch and wait before making any changes to the treatment.
Other Ways to Say: Observe patiently, Take no action yet
40. Wait for the other shoe to drop
Meaning: To wait for something bad or inevitable to happen.
In a Sentence: After hearing the bad news, we were all waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Other Ways to Say: Expect more trouble, Brace for impact
41. Tread water
Meaning: To stay in the same place without making progress, while waiting for change.
In a Sentence: We’re just treading water until the new school year starts.
Other Ways to Say: Stay still, Hold position
42. Time on your hands
Meaning: Having extra time with nothing to do.
In a Sentence: I had time on my hands during winter break, so I learned to play guitar.
Other Ways to Say: Free time, Nothing urgent to do
43. Wait forever
Meaning: To wait a very long time, often used as exaggeration.
In a Sentence: I felt like I waited forever for my birthday to come!
Other Ways to Say: Wait endlessly, Wait way too long
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct idioms:
- I was on ______ and needles while waiting for my test results.
- You need to hold your ______—we’re not leaving yet!
- The day dragged on at a ______ pace in detention.
- We got to the station early and had to ______ up and wait.
- The trip was put on ______ burner until after the exams.
- She had to ______ her time until the perfect moment arrived.
- The new features are waiting in the ______ and will be revealed soon.
- We decided to ______ and see what the teacher would say.
- I had a lot of time on my ______, so I started organizing my closet.
- He always finishes things at the ______ hour—right before the deadline.
- After rushing, we had to sit ______ for 20 minutes.
- The conversation felt like watching ______ dry—it was so boring!
Answers:
pins, horses, snail’s, hurry, back, bide, wings, watch, hands, eleventh, tight, paint
Conclusion
Waiting is something we all do—sometimes with excitement, sometimes with frustration, and sometimes just because we have no other choice. But as you’ve seen, there are dozens of creative and funny ways to talk about waiting using idioms. These phrases help you express your thoughts with color, emotion, and clarity, whether you’re talking to friends, writing an essay, or sharing a story.
By learning and practicing these idioms, you can improve your communication skills and understand everyday conversations more easily. So next time you’re stuck in a long line or waiting for that important text, think about how you’d describe it using one of these idioms—and maybe even share it with someone else.
Language is a lot more fun when you make it your own. Keep exploring, keep learning, and don’t forget—some things are worth the wait.
