"wait a minute" meaning in English

See wait a minute in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Interjection

Head templates: {{en-interj}} wait a minute
  1. Used to indicate a new insight or dawning understanding.
    Sense id: en-wait_a_minute-en-intj-Xga9Ykm9
  2. Used to indicate disagreement or doubt.
    Sense id: en-wait_a_minute-en-intj-4QdgTvJj

Verb

Forms: waits a minute [present, singular, third-person], waiting a minute [participle, present], waited a minute [participle, past], waited a minute [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} wait a minute (third-person singular simple present waits a minute, present participle waiting a minute, simple past and past participle waited a minute)
  1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see wait, minute. Related terms: wait-a-minute tree
    Sense id: en-wait_a_minute-en-verb-YFrszase Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 26 31 44

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for wait a minute meaning in English (4.3kB)

{
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "wait a minute",
      "name": "en-interj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "intj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2005, Susan Pargman, Huck Finn's High-Tailin' Adventures, page 4",
          "text": "BEN: (Suddenly remembers.) Wait a minute, Huckleberry Finn don't have no family.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Kathleen A. Froriep, The Conscious Thought Processes of College English Faculty when Reading Wordless Books: A Verbal Protocol Study",
          "text": "Reader E questioned the plausibility of laundry hanging on a clothesline at night, and Reader C's forward momentum was stalled as he commented, “Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute! She has a different basket...\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, Nancy Bishop, Secrets from the Casting Couch: On Camera Strategies for Actors from a Casting Director",
          "text": "Wait a minute. Was it in the cemetery?",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, David Stevens, Wait-A-Minute Bridge, page 96",
          "text": "West ruffs the third diamond and the defenders cash their two clubs for down one. \"Wait a minute,\" you exclaim confidently. \"I know what to do. I have to draw trumps earlier!\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to indicate a new insight or dawning understanding."
      ],
      "id": "en-wait_a_minute-en-intj-Xga9Ykm9",
      "links": [
        [
          "insight",
          "insight#English"
        ],
        [
          "dawn",
          "dawn#English"
        ],
        [
          "understanding",
          "understanding#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2004, Jon Scieszka, Tut, Tut #6",
          "text": "“Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait ... a ... minute,” said Fred. “I don't mind a little cologne, but I am not going to put on eye shadow.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Marilyn King, Sisters: And Other Fast Fiction",
          "text": "“Wait a minute. I'm not picking her apart. I'm just trying to be helpful. She needs a little guidance, that's all.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013, Robert Vaughan, When Hell Came to Texas",
          "text": "“Wait a minute, I don't know if I want to do this or not. You're talking about losing ten dollars; I could lose my life.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to indicate disagreement or doubt."
      ],
      "id": "en-wait_a_minute-en-intj-4QdgTvJj",
      "links": [
        [
          "disagreement",
          "disagreement#English"
        ],
        [
          "doubt",
          "doubt#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "wait a minute"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "waits a minute",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "waiting a minute",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "waited a minute",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "waited a minute",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "wait a minute (third-person singular simple present waits a minute, present participle waiting a minute, simple past and past participle waited a minute)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "26 31 44",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2005, Lawrence A. Hoffman, Israel--a Spiritual Travel Guide",
          "text": "They would not think twice about asking you to wait a minute while they take another picture, or ask another question of the guide.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Peter Cheyney, Never a Dull Moment",
          "text": "I wait a minute—then I get an idea.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Sheila L. Ramsey, Quest for a Gentleman: Sands of the First Freedom, page A-129",
          "text": "You just wait a minute. Let them talk before you say anything.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Myrna Temte, Wyoming Wildcat",
          "text": "He asked my mom, “Ellen are you ready yet?” She said, “Wait a minute and I will be.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Jeanette Lasserre, Once Upon a Time...wait a minute",
          "text": "Laughing, he said, “That dress is in the closet too, she should show it to you. Wait a minute, son, I'll be right back.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see wait, minute."
      ],
      "id": "en-wait_a_minute-en-verb-YFrszase",
      "links": [
        [
          "wait",
          "wait#English"
        ],
        [
          "minute",
          "minute#English"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "wait-a-minute tree"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "wait a minute"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "wait a minute",
      "name": "en-interj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "intj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2005, Susan Pargman, Huck Finn's High-Tailin' Adventures, page 4",
          "text": "BEN: (Suddenly remembers.) Wait a minute, Huckleberry Finn don't have no family.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Kathleen A. Froriep, The Conscious Thought Processes of College English Faculty when Reading Wordless Books: A Verbal Protocol Study",
          "text": "Reader E questioned the plausibility of laundry hanging on a clothesline at night, and Reader C's forward momentum was stalled as he commented, “Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute! She has a different basket...\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, Nancy Bishop, Secrets from the Casting Couch: On Camera Strategies for Actors from a Casting Director",
          "text": "Wait a minute. Was it in the cemetery?",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, David Stevens, Wait-A-Minute Bridge, page 96",
          "text": "West ruffs the third diamond and the defenders cash their two clubs for down one. \"Wait a minute,\" you exclaim confidently. \"I know what to do. I have to draw trumps earlier!\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to indicate a new insight or dawning understanding."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "insight",
          "insight#English"
        ],
        [
          "dawn",
          "dawn#English"
        ],
        [
          "understanding",
          "understanding#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2004, Jon Scieszka, Tut, Tut #6",
          "text": "“Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait ... a ... minute,” said Fred. “I don't mind a little cologne, but I am not going to put on eye shadow.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Marilyn King, Sisters: And Other Fast Fiction",
          "text": "“Wait a minute. I'm not picking her apart. I'm just trying to be helpful. She needs a little guidance, that's all.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013, Robert Vaughan, When Hell Came to Texas",
          "text": "“Wait a minute, I don't know if I want to do this or not. You're talking about losing ten dollars; I could lose my life.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to indicate disagreement or doubt."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "disagreement",
          "disagreement#English"
        ],
        [
          "doubt",
          "doubt#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "wait a minute"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "waits a minute",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "waiting a minute",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "waited a minute",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "waited a minute",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "wait a minute (third-person singular simple present waits a minute, present participle waiting a minute, simple past and past participle waited a minute)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "wait-a-minute tree"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2005, Lawrence A. Hoffman, Israel--a Spiritual Travel Guide",
          "text": "They would not think twice about asking you to wait a minute while they take another picture, or ask another question of the guide.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Peter Cheyney, Never a Dull Moment",
          "text": "I wait a minute—then I get an idea.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Sheila L. Ramsey, Quest for a Gentleman: Sands of the First Freedom, page A-129",
          "text": "You just wait a minute. Let them talk before you say anything.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Myrna Temte, Wyoming Wildcat",
          "text": "He asked my mom, “Ellen are you ready yet?” She said, “Wait a minute and I will be.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Jeanette Lasserre, Once Upon a Time...wait a minute",
          "text": "Laughing, he said, “That dress is in the closet too, she should show it to you. Wait a minute, son, I'll be right back.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see wait, minute."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "wait",
          "wait#English"
        ],
        [
          "minute",
          "minute#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "wait a minute"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.