delay

/dəˈleɪ/

/dɪˈleɪ/

Other forms: delayed; delays; delaying

A delay is a wait or a postponement. An unexpected delay before the start of a play might make the audience restless and noisy.

During a delay, you have to wait around for things to begin. Delay is also a verb: "That burnt pizza is going to delay dinner for at least another hour." You can also delay by loitering or hanging around: "The performer always delays when he's nervous about singing in front of a crowd." Delay comes from the Old French delaiier, from the roots de-, "not," and laier, "leave."

Definitions of delay

1. noun

   time during which some action is awaited
   “instant replay caused too long a delay”

   synonyms: hold, postponement, time lag, wait

   types:

   extension

   a mutually agreed delay in the date set for the completion of a job or payment of a debt

   moratorium

   a legally authorized postponement before some obligation must be discharged

   retardation

   the extent to which something is delayed or held back

   type of:

   break, intermission, interruption, pause, suspension

   a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
2. noun

   the act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time
   synonyms: holdup

   types:

   break, disruption, gap, interruption

   an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity

   demurrage

   detention of a ship or freight car or other cargo beyond its scheduled time of departure

   forbearance

   a delay in enforcing rights or claims or privileges; refraining from acting

   deferment, deferral, postponement

   act of putting off to a future time

   cunctation, procrastination, shilly-shally, shillyshally

   the act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or deferring an action to a later time

   lag, retardation, slowdown

   the act of slowing down or falling behind

   dalliance, dawdling, trifling

   the deliberate act of delaying and playing instead of working

   filibuster

   (law) a tactic for delaying or obstructing legislation by making long speeches

   lingering, tarriance

   the act of tarrying

   cut-in, insert

   (film) a still picture that is introduced and that interrupts the action of a film

   cut-in, insert

   (broadcasting) a local announcement inserted into a network program

   adjournment

   the act of postponing to another time or place

   interjection, interpellation, interpolation, interposition

   the action of interjecting or interposing an action or remark that interrupts

   abruption, breaking off

   an instance of sudden interruption

   barracking, heckling

   shouting to interrupt a speech with which you disagree

   type of:

   inactivity

   being inactive; being less active
3. verb

   cause to be slowed down or delayed
   “Traffic was delayed by the bad weather”

   “she delayed the work that she didn't want to perform”

   synonyms: detain, hold up

   antonyms:

   rush

   urge to an unnatural speed

   types:

   stonewall

   engage in delaying tactics or refuse to cooperate

   catch

   delay or hold up; prevent from proceeding on schedule or as planned

   stall

   deliberately delay an event or action

   buy time

   act so as to delay an event or action in order to gain an advantage

   type of:

   decelerate, retard, slow, slow down, slow up

   lose velocity; move more slowly
4. verb

   slow the growth or development of
   synonyms: check, retard

   types:

   dampen

   check; keep in check (a fire)

   detain, stay

   stop or halt

   type of:

   alter, change, modify

   cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
5. verb

   act later than planned, scheduled, or required
   “Don't delay your application to graduate school or else it won't be considered”

   types:

   hesitate, pause

   interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

   dilly-dally, dillydally, drag one's feet, drag one's heels, procrastinate, shilly-shally, shillyshally, stall

   postpone doing what one should be doing

   procrastinate

   postpone or delay needlessly

   defer, hold over, postpone, prorogue, put off, put over, remit, set back, shelve, table

   hold back to a later time

   hem and haw

   utter `hems' and `haws'; indicated hesitation

   scruple

   hesitate on moral grounds

   procrastinate

   postpone or delay needlessly

   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:

   hold back, hold off, wait

   wait before acting
6. verb

   stop or halt
   synonyms: detain, stay

   type of:

   check, retard

   slow the growth or development of