To await means to wait for something, especially something expected or important. When you await the results of a science fair competition, you're actively expecting those results to arrive, staying ready for when they come. When a pianist awaits her turn to perform, she's ready and watching for her moment.

Await carries a sense of anticipation that plain “wait” doesn't always have. You might wait in line at the grocery store without much feeling, but you await news from a friend who moved away, or you await your birthday with excitement.

The word often appears in formal or written contexts. A judge might say “A decision awaits you” or a letter might end with “I await your response.” You're more likely to see await in books than hear it in casual conversation, where people usually just say “wait for.” But when you do encounter it, it signals that what's coming matters: something worth anticipating, preparing for, or caring about.