Idioms are like little language puzzles—they don’t always mean what they seem at first, but they add color, creativity, and personality to everyday conversations.
When it comes to waiting—whether it’s for something exciting, nerve-wracking, or completely boring—these phrases help us express that feeling with humor, emotion, and style.
In this post, we’ll explore a full list of idioms that revolve around the theme of waiting, so that next time you find yourself stuck in line, counting down the days, or anxiously hoping for news, you’ll have just the right phrase to describe how you feel.
Let’s dive in and learn how to use these expressive sayings in daily life and make waiting a little more bearable.
What is an Idiom for Waiting?
An idiom for waiting is a type of figurative phrase that people use to describe the act of waiting—not in a boring, literal way, but in a fun and creative way that helps paint a picture in the listener’s mind.
Whether it’s about staying calm, getting restless, or feeling anxious about what’s to come, these idioms capture those emotions and moments in a way that regular words just can’t.
Now let’s take a closer look at these idioms, learn what they mean, and see how they can be used in long, natural sentences.
Idioms for Waiting
1. On pins and needles
Meaning: Feeling very anxious, nervous, or excited while waiting for something to happen.
In a Sentence: I was sitting there on pins and needles the whole time, wondering whether I’d get the part in the school play, and every time the phone buzzed, my heart skipped a beat.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely anxious, Nervously waiting
2. Watch the clock
Meaning: To keep looking at the time, usually because you’re eager for something to be over or for something to start.
In a Sentence: During my last class before summer break, I kept watching the clock, waiting for the hands to finally reach 3:00 PM so I could rush out the door and begin my vacation.
Other Ways to Say: Check the time again and again, Count down the minutes
3. Bide your time
Meaning: To wait calmly and patiently for the right opportunity to do something.
In a Sentence: Instead of jumping into the conversation too quickly, I decided to bide my time and wait until everyone was quiet so I could share my idea when people were actually listening.
Other Ways to Say: Wait patiently, Wait for the right moment
4. Hold your horses
Meaning: To tell someone to slow down, stop rushing, or be more patient.
In a Sentence: When my brother kept pestering me to open the gift before my birthday dinner, I had to tell him to hold his horses because we were going to do it after dessert, not a second before.
Other Ways to Say: Calm down, Be patient
5. In the pipeline
Meaning: Something is being developed or processed and is expected to happen soon.
In a Sentence: The school’s new library renovation is already in the pipeline, so even though it’s not finished yet, we know it’s just a matter of time before we get to enjoy the upgraded space.
Other Ways to Say: Coming soon, In progress
6. Sit tight
Meaning: To stay where you are and wait patiently without moving or taking action.
In a Sentence: The nurse told me to sit tight and wait for my name to be called, so I stayed in my chair even though I was tempted to walk around the waiting room to calm my nerves.
Other Ways to Say: Stay still and wait, Be patient and don’t move
7. In limbo
Meaning: To be in a state of uncertainty or waiting without knowing what will happen next.
In a Sentence: After turning in my application and hearing nothing back for two weeks, I felt like I was stuck in limbo, not knowing whether I should move forward with other plans or keep waiting for their response.
Other Ways to Say: Left hanging, In an uncertain situation
8. Wait for the dust to settle
Meaning: To wait until a situation becomes calmer or more stable before taking action.
In a Sentence: We decided not to make any big decisions right after the argument and chose to wait for the dust to settle before talking things out calmly and clearly.
Other Ways to Say: Wait for things to calm down, Let emotions cool off
9. Time will tell
Meaning: The truth or outcome will only become clear after waiting.
In a Sentence: I wasn’t sure if switching schools would be the right move, but I guess time will tell whether it ends up being a good choice or not.
Other Ways to Say: We’ll see eventually, The future will reveal the answer
10. A watched pot never boils
Meaning: Time seems to move slower when you are anxiously waiting for something.
In a Sentence: I kept refreshing the webpage to see my test results, but it just made the wait feel even longer—like they say, a watched pot never boils.
Other Ways to Say: Waiting feels slower when you’re watching, Don’t stare at the clock
11. Just around the corner
Meaning: Something is going to happen very soon.
In a Sentence: With graduation just around the corner, I’ve been counting down the days and getting more excited with every passing hour.
Other Ways to Say: Almost here, Coming very soon
12. Cool your heels
Meaning: To wait, often with growing impatience or boredom.
In a Sentence: I had to cool my heels in the hallway for over twenty minutes because the principal was running late for our meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Wait with frustration, Be kept waiting
13. Twiddle your thumbs
Meaning: To do nothing while waiting for something to happen.
In a Sentence: While the teacher stepped out to get extra supplies, we all just sat there twiddling our thumbs, unsure of what to do next.
Other Ways to Say: Waste time while waiting, Be idle
14. Killing time
Meaning: To do something unimportant while waiting for something else to happen.
In a Sentence: I was killing time at the bookstore before my dentist appointment by flipping through random magazines I didn’t even plan to buy.
Other Ways to Say: Pass time casually, Fill the waiting period
15. Waiting in the wings
Meaning: To be ready and waiting for an opportunity to act or take part.
In a Sentence: Even though she wasn’t in the spotlight yet, she was waiting in the wings, fully prepared to jump in as soon as they called her name.
Other Ways to Say: Stand by, Be ready to step in
16. Take your sweet time
Meaning: To move slowly or do something at your own pace, often causing others to wait.
In a Sentence: He took his sweet time getting ready while we all stood by the door, waiting impatiently to leave for the movie.
Other Ways to Say: Be slow, Delay things unnecessarily
17. In a holding pattern
Meaning: To be temporarily paused or delayed, especially while waiting for permission or a decision.
In a Sentence: Our project was in a holding pattern until we got final approval from the school board, so we couldn’t really move forward yet.
Other Ways to Say: Paused, Waiting for a green light
18. Drag your feet
Meaning: To delay or be slow in taking action, often on purpose.
In a Sentence: He kept dragging his feet on finishing the group project, and the rest of us were getting frustrated with how slow things were going.
Other Ways to Say: Be slow to act, Stall intentionally
19. In due course
Meaning: Something will happen at the right or expected time.
In a Sentence: Although I didn’t get an answer right away, I trusted that everything would become clear in due course, and I just needed to be patient until the time was right.
Other Ways to Say: Eventually, When the time is right
20. Play the waiting game
Meaning: To wait patiently for the right moment, often because rushing would be unwise.
In a Sentence: Buying a car right now seemed too expensive, so I decided to play the waiting game and see if prices dropped later in the year.
Other Ways to Say: Wait for the right time, Delay for strategy
21. Put on hold
Meaning: To delay or pause something until later.
In a Sentence: We had to put our weekend trip on hold because my little brother came down with the flu, and we didn’t want to travel while he was sick.
Other Ways to Say: Postpone, Delay for now
22. Not in a hurry
Meaning: Taking time or not rushing.
In a Sentence: I wasn’t in a hurry to finish the book, so I took my time enjoying each chapter without worrying about getting to the end quickly.
Other Ways to Say: Relaxed pace, No rush
23. At the eleventh hour
Meaning: Something happening at the last possible moment, often after a long wait.
In a Sentence: Just when I thought we wouldn’t make it, the package arrived at the eleventh hour, right before we had to leave for the airport.
Other Ways to Say: Last minute, Just in time
24. All in good time
Meaning: A phrase used to tell someone to be patient and that things will happen when they’re meant to.
In a Sentence: When I asked my mom when dinner would be ready, she smiled and said, “All in good time,” which meant I needed to stop asking and just wait.
Other Ways to Say: Be patient, It will happen
25. In the queue
Meaning: Waiting in line or waiting your turn.
In a Sentence: I was in the queue for over twenty minutes before finally reaching the counter to order my lunch.
Other Ways to Say: In line, Waiting my turn
26. Take a number
Meaning: Wait your turn patiently, especially when many people are ahead of you.
In a Sentence: When I walked into the DMV and saw how crowded it was, I knew I had to take a number and settle in for a long wait.
Other Ways to Say: Join the line, Wait like everyone else
27. In a flash
Meaning: Something happens quickly after a long wait.
In a Sentence: After waiting for nearly an hour, the moment finally arrived, and the entire event passed in a flash, like it had barely started before it was already over.
Other Ways to Say: Very quickly, In an instant
28. Marking time
Meaning: To wait while doing something repetitive or unimportant to pass time.
In a Sentence: We were marking time in the waiting room by playing games on our phones, just trying to stay distracted until the doctor came in.
Other Ways to Say: Fill time, Do something while waiting
29. Wait it out
Meaning: To remain patient until a situation improves or changes.
In a Sentence: We stayed inside and waited it out when the storm rolled in, hoping it would pass before our picnic got completely ruined.
Other Ways to Say: Stay patient, Endure until the end
30. Wait with bated breath
Meaning: To wait anxiously and excitedly for something to happen.
In a Sentence: We waited with bated breath as the judge prepared to announce the winner of the talent show, hoping it would be our group.
Other Ways to Say: Eagerly wait, Hold your breath
31. Stand by
Meaning: To be ready and waiting to take action.
In a Sentence: The backstage crew stood by during the school play, ready to jump in and fix anything that went wrong during the performance.
Other Ways to Say: Be on alert, Be ready
32. Dead time
Meaning: Time spent waiting without doing anything productive.
In a Sentence: The thirty minutes I spent waiting in the airport security line felt like dead time that I could’ve used to finish some homework or read a few chapters.
Other Ways to Say: Wasted waiting time, Unused moments
33. On standby
Meaning: Ready to go or take action once given permission or the right time.
In a Sentence: I was on standby in case one of the actors got sick, and although I didn’t perform, I was ready the whole night just in case.
Other Ways to Say: Be available, Ready and waiting
34. Put it on the back burner
Meaning: To delay dealing with something because it’s not urgent.
In a Sentence: Since I have finals coming up, I’m putting my weekend trip on the back burner until school is over and I can actually enjoy it.
Other Ways to Say: Delay for later, Postpone temporarily
35. In the nick of time
Meaning: Just before it’s too late.
In a Sentence: We arrived at the theater in the nick of time, just seconds before the lights went down and the movie started.
Other Ways to Say: Just barely, At the last moment
36. The calm before the storm
Meaning: A quiet or peaceful time right before something intense happens.
In a Sentence: The classroom was unusually quiet before the test began—it felt like the calm before the storm, and we all knew what was coming.
Other Ways to Say: Peace before chaos, Quiet before action
37. Not ready for prime time
Meaning: Not yet prepared or developed enough to be used or released.
In a Sentence: The app looked good, but the developer said it was not ready for prime time and needed more testing before launch.
Other Ways to Say: Needs more time, Not finished
38. Wait till the cows come home
Meaning: To wait for a very long time, possibly forever.
In a Sentence: You can wait till the cows come home, but I’m still not changing my mind about the group project rules.
Other Ways to Say: Wait forever, Wait endlessly
39. Run out the clock
Meaning: To delay or stall to avoid doing something or to use up time.
In a Sentence: He kept asking pointless questions during the debate to run out the clock and avoid answering the tough ones.
Other Ways to Say: Stall for time, Waste time on purpose
40. Wait your turn
Meaning: To wait until it’s your time to do something.
In a Sentence: I know you’re excited to share your idea, but you have to wait your turn and listen to others first.
Other Ways to Say: Be patient, Take turns
41. Take forever and a day
Meaning: To take an extremely long time.
In a Sentence: The video took forever and a day to finish uploading, and I was worried I’d miss my deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely slow, Takes too long
42. At a snail’s pace
Meaning: Moving or happening very slowly.
In a Sentence: The line at the amusement park moved at a snail’s pace, and we waited nearly two hours for a five-minute ride.
Other Ways to Say: Very slowly, Dragging on
43. Stretch it out
Meaning: To make something last longer than necessary.
In a Sentence: The teacher stretched out the lecture so much that the 30-minute topic took the whole class period.
Other Ways to Say: Prolong, Extend unnecessarily
44. Kill the clock
Meaning: To deliberately waste time to delay an outcome.
In a Sentence: The team passed the ball back and forth just to kill the clock and protect their lead.
Other Ways to Say: Waste time on purpose, Stall
45. In the fullness of time
Meaning: Eventually, after enough time has passed.
In a Sentence: I know it’s hard now, but in the fullness of time, you’ll understand why things happened this way.
Other Ways to Say: Eventually, Over time
46. Drag on
Meaning: To last longer than expected or wanted.
In a Sentence: The meeting dragged on for hours, and by the end, everyone looked exhausted and restless.
Other Ways to Say: Go on too long, Be overly drawn out
47. In suspended animation
Meaning: In a state where nothing is progressing or moving forward.
In a Sentence: Our vacation plans are in suspended animation until we know whether my cousin can get the time off work.
Other Ways to Say: On hold, Frozen in place
48. Wait in vain
Meaning: To wait without ever getting what you were hoping for.
In a Sentence: She waited in vain for an apology that never came, even after weeks of silence.
Other Ways to Say: Wait hopelessly, Get no result
49. Take its sweet time
Meaning: When something is happening slower than you’d like.
In a Sentence: My laptop took its sweet time turning on, which made me late for my online class again.
Other Ways to Say: Be annoyingly slow, Delay unnecessarily
50. Stuck in a rut
Meaning: Waiting or feeling stuck in the same routine.
In a Sentence: I’ve been stuck in a rut lately, waiting for something new or exciting to break up my usual school-home cycle.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling trapped, In a boring pattern
51. Time crawls
Meaning: Time moves very slowly, especially when you’re bored or waiting.
In a Sentence: Whenever I sit through a lecture I don’t like, it feels like time crawls and every minute takes an eternity to pass.
Other Ways to Say: Time drags, Slow moments
52. Tread water
Meaning: To stay in the same place while waiting for something to change.
In a Sentence: After submitting my application, I felt like I was just treading water until the university sent their decision.
Other Ways to Say: Not moving forward, Stuck while waiting
53. In a lull
Meaning: A temporary pause or break in activity.
In a Sentence: During the lull between class periods, the hallway was quiet and calm before students rushed out again.
Other Ways to Say: A quiet moment, Temporary pause
Practical Exercise
Fill in the blanks using the idioms you’ve learned:
- I felt like I was walking on __________ and couldn’t relax while waiting for my audition results.
- She told me to __________ my horses because the show hadn’t even started yet.
- We were __________ our thumbs for half an hour before the meeting actually began.
- I know the news is coming soon—it’s just __________ the corner now.
- We’re __________ in the wings in case they need a backup team for the competition.
- I was told to __________ tight while they reviewed my application.
- It’s best to let the dust __________ before we bring up that topic again.
- I was in a __________ pattern for weeks before I finally got the green light.
- I decided to __________ the waiting game and see if the prices would go down.
- They said the update was already __________ the pipeline, so we shouldn’t worry.
Answers: pins and needles, hold, twiddling, around, waiting, sit, settle, holding, play, in
Conclusion
Waiting is something we all experience, whether it’s for something important, exciting, or simply everyday things like the school bus or your phone to charge.
These idioms give you a whole new way to describe those feelings, situations, and moments with creativity, emotion, and a little bit of fun.
By practicing and using these phrases in conversations, writing, or storytelling, you can make your communication feel more natural, expressive, and even a little clever.
So next time you’re stuck waiting, instead of getting bored or frustrated, try using one of these idioms—and enjoy turning a quiet moment into something a little more colorful.
Keep practicing, and over time, idioms will fe