delay
Americanverb (used with object)
-
delays,
present (3rd person singular)
-
delayed,
past participle, past
-
delaying
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
delays,
present (3rd person singular)
-
delayed,
past participle, past
-
delaying
present participle
noun
-
delays
plural
-
the act of delaying; procrastination.
- Synonyms:
- loitering
-
an instance of being delayed.
There were many delays during the train trip.
-
the period or amount of time during which something is delayed.
The ballet performance began after a half-hour delay.
verb
-
(tr) to put off to a later time; defer
-
(tr) to slow up, hinder, or cause to be late; detain
-
(intr) to be irresolute or put off doing something; procrastinate
-
(intr) to linger; dawdle
noun
-
the act or an instance of delaying or being delayed
-
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
-
delayernoun
-
predelaynoun
-
delayableadjective
-
undelayableadjective
-
undelayingadjective
-
delayinglyadverb
-
undelayinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
delaysimple
-
delayssimple
-
have delayedperfect
-
has delayedperfect
-
am delayingprogressive
-
are delayingprogressive
-
is delayingprogressive
-
have been delayingperfect progressive
-
has been delayingperfect progressive
Past
-
delayedsimple
-
had delayedperfect
-
was delayingprogressive
-
were delayingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Greetings, World Traveler! — List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Building Design and Construction Handbook," Vocabulary from Section 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Such a delay would "frustrate the nature and purpose of the search," said the police, in their application for search warrants.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Because a survivor’s benefit is based on the deceased spouse’s claiming age, a delay by the higher earner also means a larger benefit for the surviving spouse.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Rep. Tom Emmer, the House Majority Whip, was joining Republican holdouts to delay a House vote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
The researchers hope to determine which biological mechanisms drive this decline and why physical activity can delay, but not completely prevent, the loss of performance.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026
Emmett asks, like this will delay Aunt Nancy from doing whatever she wants.
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
“The Batman Part II” began filming in London in June after a number of previous delays while Reeves and Mattson Tomlin wrote the script.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Some who saw Oxford’s Botley Road bridges after their unveiling said they could understand the delays and expense.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
However, strategists from 22V Research said that even if Abbott wins, regulatory review and air-permitting delays could slow down new project approvals in the years ahead.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
She also said the ophthalmology "capacity appears insufficient to meet the demand", adding that the absence of a national mechanism means those "requiring surveillance for ophthalmic conditions may experience prolonged delays".
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
The delays do, but the lights turning off isn’t common.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
If astronomers can estimate when a black hole's feeding rate will approach the critical threshold, they may be able to predict when a delayed jet is likely to appear.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
The move to further tighten policy could be delayed until January 2027, he adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
In a presentation, Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck said the launch was delayed due to an issue with the manufacturing process for Neutron’s forward dome.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
The structure was completed in 2014 but its opening was delayed due to a lack of connecting roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
It’s been three weeks with no news of you, and I’m worried and wondering why you’re delayed.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Rocket Lab once again is delaying the maiden launch of its Neutron rocket, dealing a major blow to investors.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
The carrier said Monday it now expects to debut the flight in March, delaying previous plans for an Oct.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The earlier fat intake also slowed gastric emptying, delaying the movement of glucose from the stomach into the intestine.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Two teams were sent to the wrong venue, delaying a volleyball match.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
Now no one could use it—not us, not injured persons—and there was no point in arguing or delaying any further.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
