Learn English – Is “wait up!” considered correct English

expressionsgrammaticality

I thought if you wanted someone to wait for you, you would say, "wait for me". However, I've heard/seen a lot of people speak/write "wait up" instead. Is "wait up" correct English?

Best Answer

According to Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner's English Dictionary:

wait up

  1. If you wait up, you deliberately do not go to bed, especially because you are expecting someone to return home late at night.
  2. If you ask someone to wait up, you are asking them to go more slowly or to stop and wait for you [AM, INFORMAL]