Find Antonyms

expectation Antonyms

Opposite of expectation

Because the opposite of expectation shifts with each meaning, the antonyms and opposite words below are separated across 2 exact definitions and ranked by contrast strength.
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• noun (Context 1)

A strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.

Usage Example

"The company expanded its staff in the doubt that sales would increase over the summer."

Strong
doubt
unexpectedness
surprise

• noun (Context 2)

One's prospects of future success, advancement, or inheritance (usually used in the plural).

Usage Example

"The young scholar graduated with great expectations for a distinguished career in medicine."

Strong
hopelessness

Similar words to expectation

Words similar to expectation shift depending on context. Common synonyms include:

expected value
anticipation
prospect
promise
prediction
requirement
mean
standard
See all synonyms of expectation

• Nearby Words

expectancy
expectant
expectantly
expectation
expectedly
expecting
expectingly

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Antonyms for Expectation. In Wordmom Thesaurus. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/antonyms/expectation
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