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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