expect(动词):期待;预期;认为……会发生;要求(某人做某事)。常见结构有 expect to do、expect someone to do、*expect that...*。此外也可表示“怀孕”(口语中常说 be expecting)。
/ɪkˈspekt/
I expect a call this evening.
我预计今晚会接到电话。
They expected that the project would take months, but it was finished in two weeks.
他们原以为这个项目要花几个月,但两周就完成了。
来自拉丁语 exspectare / expectare,意为“等待、盼望、留意”,由 **ex-**(向外、完全)+ spectare(观看、观察)构成,含有“仔细观察并等待结果”的意味。与 spectator(观众)、inspect(检查)等词同源。