delay
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
SYNONYMS FOR delay
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Origin of delay
synonym study for delay
OTHER WORDS FROM delay
Words nearby delay
VOCAB BUILDER
What does delay mean?
As a verb, delay means to put something off or postpone it until later, or to cause something to take longer or to be late.
As a noun, delay means an instance of something being postponed till later, or the amount of time between when something was supposed to happen and when it does happen (the lull or interlude).
Example: The convention has not been canceled—it has been delayed until we can find a proper venue.
Where does delay come from?
Delay has been used in English since before 1300. It comes from the Old French delaier, which is formed from de-, meaning “off,” and laier, a variant of laissier, meaning “to leave.” This is derived from the Latin laxare, “to loosen,” from laxus, “slack, lax.”
We may hate waiting, but delays are part of our daily life. If there’s a shipping delay, it means the thing we ordered is going to arrive later than expected. If there’s a traffic jam, we’re told to expect major delays, meaning it’s going to take a lot longer than usual to get where we’re going. Rain delays happen when it rains at outdoor sporting events, but that doesn’t always mean that the game gets canceled—it usually just gets delayed until the rain stops. When there’s a snowstorm, schools might open later, after a two-hour delay. These examples all use delay as a noun, but delay as a verb is just as common.
If we delay a meeting, we postpone it until later. If our flight has been delayed, it means the plane is taking longer than scheduled to arrive—probably because it left later than expected or it ran into bad weather. Another meaning of delay as a verb is “to wait” or “to procrastinate.” This sense is seen in advertisements that tell us don’t delay—order now while supplies last!
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What are some other forms related to delay?
- delayable (adjective)
- delayingly (adverb)
- delayer (noun)
- predelay (noun, verb)
What are some synonyms for delay?
What are some words that share a root or word element with delay?
What are some words that often get used in discussing delay?
How is delay used in real life?
Delay is used in all kinds of situations in which things have been postponed or are running behind schedule.
There's a major accident 45 kms north of Red Deer on Highway 2 South. Traffic is barely moving at all. Expect major delays.
— Andrew Grose (@GroseAndrew) March 7, 2020
APMEX website
“NOTE: Due to extreme order volumes, please expect a shipping delay of up to 5 business days.”— William Brown (@Brown70William) March 13, 2020
YOUR VOTE CAN SWAY
Don’t Delay – Register Today— vote NOW (@voteNOWuwu) March 11, 2020
Try using delay!
Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of delay?
A. lag
B. lax
C. lull
D. linger