delay
Americanverb (used with object)
-
delays,
present (3rd person singular)
-
delayed,
past participle, past
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delaying
present participle
verb (used without object)
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delays,
present (3rd person singular)
-
delayed,
past participle, past
-
delaying
present participle
noun
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delays
plural
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the act of delaying; procrastination.
- Synonyms:
- loitering
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an instance of being delayed.
There were many delays during the train trip.
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the period or amount of time during which something is delayed.
The ballet performance began after a half-hour delay.
verb
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(tr) to put off to a later time; defer
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(tr) to slow up, hinder, or cause to be late; detain
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(intr) to be irresolute or put off doing something; procrastinate
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(intr) to linger; dawdle
noun
-
the act or an instance of delaying or being delayed
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the interval between one event and another; lull; interlude
Usage
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.
Synonym Usage
See defer 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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delayernoun
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predelaynoun
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delayableadjective
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undelayableadjective
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undelayingadjective
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delayinglyadverb
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undelayinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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delaysimple
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delayssimple
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have delayedperfect
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has delayedperfect
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am delayingprogressive
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are delayingprogressive
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is delayingprogressive
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have been delayingperfect progressive
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has been delayingperfect progressive
Past
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delayedsimple
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had delayedperfect
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was delayingprogressive
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were delayingprogressive
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had been delayingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of delay
First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English delaien (verb), delai(e) (noun), from Old French delaier (verb), delai (noun)
Explanation
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."
Vocabulary lists containing delay
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 3
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Greetings, World Traveler! — List 2
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Unit 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"It's really important we all move at the same pace together, and I won't allow anything to delay that," the prime minister said.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
The WSJ Logistics Report’s Paul Berger writes that employers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach say they are nearing a deal with union workers that would delay the threat of a strike.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Others might delay their benefits, which gives them an additional 8% in payments for every year they delay their FRA between 67 and 70.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
Google has stepped up the pace of its AI releases since a delay to a flagship model in July raised questions about whether it was falling behind rivals OpenAI and Anthropic.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
I took my time unpacking, until I felt like I couldn’t delay it any longer, then joined Gran in the living room.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
Years of delays for the SkyLink people mover at LAX have led to finger-pointing, litigation and a grand jury probe into how a $1.9-billion project has become a $3.3-billion boondoggle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
McDonnell has acknowledged delays in producing records, saying that the unit tasked with reviewing and releasing the information is “grossly understaffed.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
That has forced builders to pay their remaining workers much more and caused delays that cost money in interest payments, equipment rentals, site maintenance and insurance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
In his letter, the pensions minister said people who had already been impacted by avoidable delays and been taxed as a result could seek compensation through the pension scheme's complaints process and the Pensions Ombudsman.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Ferris, himself fed up with construction delays and Burnham’s pestering, had told Gronau to turn the wheel or tear it off the tower.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
But in recent months, as the train’s opening continues to be delayed, the future of those plans have come into question.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Its initial departure from Belfast was delayed by several months because of repairs on the ship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Health and language issues have delayed his Mexican asylum process.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
Cummins' entry into that unwanted club has been delayed by his bowlers' streetwise nature and ability to sense a moment.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
“It must be a severe trial to them all. She had understood it was to be delayed till Colonel Campbell’s return.”
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
After the market turned, Nvidia and the other potential backers began demanding more stringent terms, these people said, delaying Nscale’s plans to file a revised IPO prospectus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
Becerra would be open to revising or delaying the goals to prioritize affordability.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Mamdani implemented a policy delaying the removal of encampment structures for at least seven days to allow outreach workers to offer services.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Promoter Frank Warren is working towards staging Hrgovic's first defence in Croatia early next year, potentially delaying a reunion with Dubois.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
But knowing my high school, they’ll probably find a way to tack any lost days on at the end, delaying our summer vacation.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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