pause

[pawz]

noun

1. a temporary stop or rest, especially in speech or action.

   a short pause after each stroke of the oar.

   Synonyms: lacuna, hiatus, halt, break, interruption, suspension

2. a cessation of activity because of doubt or uncertainty; a momentary hesitation.

   Synonyms: lacuna, hiatus, halt, break, interruption, suspension

3. any comparatively brief stop, delay, wait, etc..

   I would like to make a pause in my talk and continue after lunch.

   Synonyms: lacuna, hiatus, halt, break, interruption, suspension

4. a break or rest in speaking or reading to emphasize meaning, grammatical relation, metrical division, etc., or in writing or printing by the use of punctuation.

5. Prosody.,  a break or suspension, as a caesura, in a line of verse.

6. Music.,  a fermata.

verb (used without object)

paused, pausing 

1. to make a brief stop or delay; wait; hesitate.

   He paused at the edge of the pool for a moment. I'll pause in my lecture so we can all get some coffee.

   Synonyms: rest

2. to dwell or linger (usually followed by on orupon ).

   to pause upon a particular point.

   Synonyms: delay, tarry

pause

/ pɔːz /

verb

1. to cease an action temporarily; stop

2. to hesitate; delay

   she replied without pausing

noun

1. a temporary stop or rest, esp in speech or action; short break

2. prosody another word for caesura

3. Also called: fermata. music a continuation of a note or rest beyond its normal length

4. to cause to hesitate

Other Word Forms

• pausal adjective
• pauser noun
• pausing noun
• pauseful adjective
• pausefully adverb
• pauseless adjective
• pauselessly adverb
• pausingly adverb
• nonpause noun
• unpausing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pause¹

First recorded in 1400–50; (for the noun) Middle English, from Latin pausa, from Greek paûsis “a halt,” from paú(ein) “to stop” + -sis -sis; verb derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pause¹

C15: from Latin pausa pause, from Greek pausis, from pauein to halt

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. give pause, to cause to hesitate or be unsure, as from surprise or doubt.

   These frightening statistics give us pause.

see give pause.

Example Sentences

The yellow metal’s rally took a pause as a peace deal between Israel and Hamas begins to take shape.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A tilt toward inflation’s persistence would signal a higher bar for further easing and suggest that the Fed may pause at its Oct. 28-29 policy meeting.

Read more on Barron's

The movement announced a pause in the protests ahead of King Mohammed VI's annual address to parliament Friday.

Read more on Barron's

The SUV pause is set to last a week, according to a memo the company sent to workers and viewed by The Wall Street Journal.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

On April 9, he announced a 90-day pause on the so-called reciprocal tariffs on most countries.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• breathing space 
• halt 
• hesitation 
• hiatus 
• hitch 
• interlude 
• intermission 
• interruption 
• interval 
• lapse 
• layoff 
• letup 
• lull 
• recess 
• respite 
• stoppage 
• suspension