delay
the act of delaying; procrastination.
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.
Origin of delay
1synonym study For delay
Other words for delay
| 2 | slow, detain |
| 3 | procrastinate, tarry |
| 4 | tarrying, dawdling, loitering |
| 5 | deferment, postponement, respite |
Other words from delay
- de·lay·a·ble, adjective
- de·lay·er, noun
- de·lay·ing·ly, adverb
- pre·de·lay, noun, verb
- un·de·lay·a·ble, adjective
- un·de·lay·ing, adjective
- un·de·lay·ing·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use delay in a sentence
This current system has built-in redundancy in case any of the companies experiences delays in their distribution.
We can’t rely on just one company to distribute COVID vaccines | jakemeth | November 20, 2020 | FortuneThere were long delays and a series of what they regarded as inexplicable decisions in the case.
New York Court Officials Complete Rare Review of Cases Handled by Judge Forced Into Retirement by Dementia | by Joe Sexton | November 20, 2020 | ProPublicaThis delay allowed the researchers to look for improvements in symptoms that were not related to the drug.
Psilocybin may help treat depression, a small study finds | Laura Sanders | November 17, 2020 | Science NewsThe unusual autumn major championship had barely gotten underway at Augusta National Golf Club before it was halted, and the delay will prevent the first round from finishing on Thursday.
The Masters 2020: Live updates | Matt Bonesteel, Barry Svrluga | November 12, 2020 | Washington Post“Most of the delays that happen today are due to the fact that there is no single source of truth,” says Timsit.
We need to a better job of explaining that women use birth control for much more than delaying or avoiding motherhood.
He protests his innocence but is delaying the case as long as possible.
A Woman Blogger’s Scoop Helped Save Tunisia From Islamists | Thomas A. Bass | April 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTA House Republican proposal to extend the shutdown while delaying the debt-ceiling default is therefore DOA.
Boehner and senior aides repeatedly tweeted that the House vote was really about “fairness” in delaying the individual mandate.
The Suicidal Shutdown: Hyper-Partisan Fever Rules the Government | John Avlon | September 29, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTYet delaying reform through endless negotiation was only one of the games Wall Street lobbyists have played.
The Roots of the Next Financial Crisis: How Wall Street Undermines Reform | Lawrence Lessig | June 23, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTHe is also liable if delaying unreasonably to make repairs, or for making them unskillfully.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman | Albert Sidney BollesIt might be well enough to make IC spend valuable time looking for him, but such delaying actions had no positive value.
Insidekick | Jesse Franklin BoneFirst, the reason professed for delaying nearly a year to recognise and address the King after his restoration.
The Loyalists of America and Their Times, Vol. 1 of 2 | Egerton RyersonAt each telegraphic station the clerks transmitted messages delivered to them, delaying for State dispatches alone.
Michael Strogoff | Jules VerneYoung Andrews, risking everything, was still delaying his return to his post at Junnar.
The Tigress | Anne Warner
British Dictionary definitions for delay
/ (dɪˈleɪ) /
(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
the act or an instance of delaying or being delayed
the interval between one event and another; lull; interlude
Origin of delay
1Derived forms of delay
- delayer, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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