wait a minute
Stop right there
Wait a minute is a request for someone to pause or hold on, sometimes literally for a brief period: Wait a minute, I need to grab my jacket.
More often it signals that something has just occurred to the speaker—a realization, objection, or moment of confusion: Wait a minute—you're telling me he never showed up?
The phrase can express skepticism or demand clarification before proceeding.
Maintain in grasp
- delayEnforced waiting period
- lingerStay beyond necessity
- tarryDelay one's leaving
- standbyReady substitute awaiting use
anticipation · forbearance · composure · restraint · steady · calm · endure · bide
Intense sudden wonder
- shockViolent sudden disturbance
- startleFrighten suddenly
- bewildermentState of being baffled
- gobsmackedExtremely astonished
thunderstruck · disbelief · unexpected · what · whoa · hold on · taken aback · stunned
Sudden profound insight
- revelationSurprising disclosed truth
- dawningFirst light emerging
- recognitionPerceiving something as known
- ahaExclamation of realization
clarity · insight · eureka · lightbulb · awakening · comprehension · discovery · understanding
Temporary cessation of activity
- haltComplete sudden stop
- interjectInsert remarks abruptly
- stopCease all motion
- breakInterrupt continuity
holdup · interjection · cutoff · interpose · suspend · freeze · time-out · breather
Lack of firm belief
- disbeliefRejection of truth claims
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- suspicionSense of unease about motives
- incredulityInability to accept something
hesitation · uncertainty · misgivings · wariness · distrust · challenge · skeptical · dubious
hold
Maintain in grasp
standby · anticipation · forbearance · composure · restraint · steady · calm · endure · bide · tolerate
astonishment
Intense sudden wonder
- shockViolent sudden disturbance
- startleFrighten suddenly
- bewildermentState of being baffled
gobsmacked · thunderstruck · disbelief · unexpected · what · whoa · hold on · taken aback · stunned · startled
epiphany
Sudden profound insight
- revelationSurprising disclosed truth
- dawningFirst light emerging
- recognitionPerceiving something as known
aha · clarity · insight · eureka · lightbulb · awakening · comprehension · discovery · understanding · click
pause
Temporary cessation of activity
break · holdup · interjection · cutoff · interpose · suspend · freeze · time-out · breather · disruption
doubt
Lack of firm belief
- disbeliefRejection of truth claims
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- suspicionSense of unease about motives
incredulity · hesitation · uncertainty · misgivings · wariness · distrust · challenge · skeptical · dubious · unconvinced
- confusionconfusion, confused, bewilderment, perplexity, baffled
- Common Phraseshello, goodbye, thank you, please, sorry
- phrasesnoun phrases, noun phrase, verb phrase, prepositional phrase, prepositional phrases
- distractionsdistraction, digression, tangent, sidetrack, diversion
wait a minutego ahead
Permission to begin
carry on · proceed · continue · keep going · don't stop
wait a minutego on
Continue doing something
carry on · as you were · never mind · fair enough · I agree
wait a minuteokay
Adequate or permitted
agreed · fine · sure · absolutely · no objection
wait, minute, waiting, minutes, waiter, waitress, waits, minutely, minuted