delay
Americanverb (used with object)
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delays,
present (3rd person singular)
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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
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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
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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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"Building Design and Construction Handbook," Vocabulary from Section 1
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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:
Those two timelines leave no room for delay.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026
If SB Energy fails to start data-center operations by its deadline for PORTS-Pike, it must give OpenAI a free day of base rent for each day of delay.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Beggs went on to say the force was "not saying it was perfect", but added "no evidential degradation was suffered as a result of delay".
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
The Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar to serve as Donald Trump's presidential jet experienced a takeoff delay Wednesday as inspectors checked one of its inflatable slides used for emergency evacuations.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
“I tripped! It’s my stupid sari! You go! I’ll delay them!”
From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins
Taking a more positive view, JPMorgan analysts pointed to an August quarter that they said eased key worries concerns around datacenter delays, and the value of Oracle’s signed contracts not yet converted to revenue.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
SB Energy’s offering features $430 billion in data-center deals, no operating sites and a clause giving OpenAI free rent for delays.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Learner drivers have to wait an average 20 weeks before booking a practical test, according to new figures, despite attempts to reduce delays.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
In 1961, as astronaut Alan Shepard sat aboard his Redstone rocket waiting to become the first American launched in space, hours of delays forced him to urinate in his space suit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
“That means you’ve already got to make up for four lost days. Any more delays, and they won’t believe you. They’ll guess what happened. So decide now.”
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
The AlloESO-T cells slowed tumor growth and delayed the cancer's return, while the conventionally engineered comparison cells provided only temporary control.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
County announced Monday that it had filed a lawsuit against State Farm General after hundreds of victims of last year’s devastating wildfires complained that their policy claims had been delayed, denied or underpaid.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
Those delayed may have the right to food, or a hotel stay, depending on the length of the wait.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Americans accustomed to free and easy returns are facing surprise fees, shorter return windows and delayed refunds as merchants push back against rising processing costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
But on his way back from the Holy Land, the ship Vesalius was travelling in encountered severe storms and was delayed sufficiently for supplies to run low, while the passengers also suffered severe seasickness.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Backers of the bill accused some peers of using delaying tactics to block the proposal, while critics argued it was not fit for purpose due to a lack of safeguards.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Natural-gas turbines can face multiyear delivery backlogs, delaying new gas-fired power plants.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Sean McVay and the Rams are adopting a different approach from the San Francisco 49ers by delaying travel to Melbourne, Australia, for their season opener.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
Yet France’s size and deep integration into the European economy—and particularly the euro currency—allow Paris to keep delaying its moment of reckoning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
China tried delaying that Treaty’s ratification; Peking was looted and burned.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Definitions 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.
