defer

/dɪˈfʌr/

/dɪˈfʌ/

Other forms: deferred; deferring; defers

Defer means to put off or delay. You can try to defer the inevitable by pushing “snooze” and falling back asleep, but eventually you're going to have to get up.

If you're excellent at pushing things to a later date and a master at procrastination, then you already know how to defer. But defer can also mean to comply with another person’s opinion or wishes. So when your boss finds out you deferred your work to shop online instead, you should probably defer when she asks you to come in and finish everything up over the weekend.

Definitions of defer

1. verb

   yield to another's wish or opinion
   synonyms: accede, bow, give in, submit

   type of:

   buckle, buckle under, give in, knuckle under, succumb, yield

   consent reluctantly
2. verb

   hold back to a later time
   synonyms: hold over, postpone, prorogue, put off, put over, remit, set back, shelve, table

   types:

   call

   stop or postpone because of adverse conditions, such as bad weather

   hold

   stop dealing with

   suspend

   render temporarily ineffective

   probate

   put a convicted person on probation by suspending his sentence

   reprieve, respite

   postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal, such as an execution

   type of:

   delay

   act later than planned, scheduled, or required