Words About Waiting.
Words about waiting
I found it hard to endure my time in the waiting room - all I wanted to do was get out of there.
endure (v): to painfully wait or suffer through something
RELATED WORDS
bide (v): to wait until something happens; usually used in the phrase "to bide one's time"
tarry (v): to wait idly
linger (v): to stick around someplace because you're reluctant to go
stall (v): to delay someone or something
loiter (v): to stand around with no obvious purpose
I had qualms about meeting Weston. What if my outfit wasn't conservative enough? Maybe I shouldn't have worn my combat boots...
qualm (n): a nervous feeling
I tried to keep the timorous shake out of my voice as I introduced myself to the receptionist, but I couldn't really hide my apprehension.
timorous (adj): nervous
apprehension (n): fear, nervousness
I thought I saw a look of consternation cross her face - maybe she thought I shouldn't have worn the combat boots, either.
consternation (n): confusion and dismay
I'm not normally a fretful person, but this was an unusual circumstance.
fretful (adj): tending to be nervous or easily agitated
As I sat there drumming my fingers on the table, I had a presentiment that something huge was going to happen as soon as I walked into the office.
presentiment (n): a feeling that you know what's going to happen
If you have a presentiment that something specifically bad is going to happen, you're experiencing trepidation or foreboding.
trepidation (n): fear of something about to come
foreboding (n): a sense that something bad is about to happen
Man, I really wanted that receptionist to expedite this whole process for me, but she seemed to have no intention of doing anything but filing her nails.
expedite (v): to speed something up
I tried to quell the awful butterflies in my stomach by reciting Beatles lyrics to
myself in Spanish.
quell (v): to soothe
Here are some synonyms for quell:
assuage (v): to provide relief
palliate (v): to provide relief
ameliorate (v): to improve something
mitigate (v): to make something less harsh or violent
These four words have to do with making something easier or more manageable; quell has the added emphasis of actually bringing the harshness to an end. For example: “He managed to quell the angry mob, and sent all the protestors back home."
From: Easy guide to vocabulary & grammar, Fall River Press.
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