Until Meaning
Until Definition & Usage
Indicates the time or event when something will stop or change.
Examples
- "She will stay here until next week."
- "I worked until midnight last night."
- "The event will continue until the end of the month."
- "We can't leave until the meeting is over."
- "He stayed quiet until the teacher asked him a question."
Indicates that something happens up to the point of another action or event.
Examples
- "Wait until I finish my work."
- "She didn't speak until the last moment."
- "You can play until the sun sets."
- "I won’t stop until I succeed."
- "He didn’t realize the mistake until after the meeting."
Cultural Context
The word 'until' has its roots in Middle English, and is derived from Old French and Latin. It has been in continuous use to indicate time or conditions for over a millennium, commonly used in both formal and informal contexts. It is essential in everyday conversation for expressing the duration or limits of actions.
The Race Against Time
Story
The Race Against Time
The morning sun gleamed through the window, casting soft shadows across the floor. In the heart of the busy city, a young woman named Emily stood at her kitchen counter, glancing at the clock nervously. The big presentation was at 10:00, and she was still reviewing her notes. "I can't believe I’m still not ready," Emily muttered to herself. "I’ll never make it until the end of this meeting if I don't hurry." Her phone buzzed, breaking her focus. It was a message from her colleague, David: 'I’m just waiting for the final approval until noon. I'll see you in the conference room then.' Emily sighed, knowing she had only a few hours left. As she dashed through her preparations, she thought about the challenges ahead. She had worked tirelessly until the early hours of the morning, and her mind was beginning to fade. She wished she could skip the next few hours and jump straight to the afternoon when everything would be over. But no, she had to endure until the presentation ended. As the clock struck 9:45, Emily packed her laptop and walked towards the conference room. She barely had time to greet the others before the meeting began. The first part of the presentation went smoothly, but she couldn’t help but feel the pressure mounting. The clock ticked away, and Emily couldn’t help but glance at it repeatedly, counting down the moments until the end. David whispered, "Hold on until they make their decision. We can wrap up after that." Emily nodded, trying to maintain her composure. They had been working on this project together for months, and it all came down to this. Finally, at 11:30, the meeting concluded, and everyone stood to leave. Emily let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. The pressure had lifted, and she could finally relax. She had made it until the end, and it was all worth it. "I can’t believe we did it," she said, turning to David. "I thought I wouldn’t make it until the end of the morning!" David laughed. "You did great. And hey, we only have to wait until the next deadline to do it all over again."
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