pause

[ pawz ]

/ pɔz /

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pause ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a temporary stop or rest, especially in speech or action: a short pause after each stroke of the oar.

a cessation of activity because of doubt or uncertainty; a momentary hesitation.

any comparatively brief stop, delay, wait, etc.: I would like to make a pause in my talk and continue after lunch.

a break or rest in speaking or reading to emphasize meaning, grammatical relation, metrical division, etc., or in writing or printing by the use of punctuation.

Prosody. a break or suspension, as a caesura, in a line of verse.

Music. a fermata.

verb (used without object), paused, paus·ing.

to make a brief stop or delay; wait; hesitate: He paused at the edge of the pool for a moment. I'll pause in my lecture so we can all get some coffee.

to dwell or linger (usually followed by on or upon): to pause upon a particular point.

Nearby words

paupiette, paur, pauraque, pauropod, pausanias, pause, pautrier's microabscess, pav, pavage, pavan, pavane

Idioms

give pause, to cause to hesitate or be unsure, as from surprise or doubt: These frightening statistics give us pause.

Origin of pause

1400–50; (noun) Middle English < Latin pausa < Greek paûsis a halt, equivalent to paú(ein) to stop + -sis -sis; (v.) derivative of the noun

SYNONYMS FOR pause

1–3 suspension, interruption, break, halt; hiatus, lacuna.

7 rest.

8 tarry, delay.

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Related forms

paus·al, adjectivepause·ful, adjectivepause·ful·ly, adverbpause·less, adjective

pause·less·ly, adverbpaus·er, nounpaus·ing·ly, adverbnon·pause, nounun·paus·ing, adjective

Can be confusedpause paws pores pours

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pause

But pause for a second, and look back at what these generations of regulators and lawmakers have created.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After a pause she invited me in with a warm smile, as if I were a neighbor.
The Life and Hard Times Of The Family A Cuban Defector Left Behind|Brin-Jonathan Butler|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I had to pause for sheep crossing the road, which is a common occurrence when driving through the Highlands of Scotland.
A Whisky Connoisseur Remembers That First Sip of The Macallan||December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was I think [pause]…a quite evolved relationship, and one that made me very happy.
All Eyes on Anjelica Huston: The Legendary Actress on Love, Abuse, and Jack Nicholson|Alex Suskind|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Meditating could help you pause and think logically before your next big purchase or investment.
Meditation Tips for the Easily Distracted|DailyBurn|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To this, after a pause, Mollie said: She is very charming; Clive finds her very charming.
Christmas Roses and Other Stories|Anne Douglas Sedgwick
"She has a strange assortment of alte Schachteln here," he said, after a pause during which his thoughts were rosy.
The Benefactress|Elizabeth Beauchamp
"I am not nearly as low-spirited as I was," she said after a pause.
The Rebel of the School|Mrs. L. T. Meade
There is a pause at the end of each verse until the chairman starts the company on the next.
Three Men on the Bummel|Jerome K. Jerome
There was a pause, a thrilling, intense pause; and then the confusion of voices.
The Tidal Wave and Other Stories|Ethel May Dell

British Dictionary definitions for pause

pause

/ (pɔːz) /

verb (intr)

to cease an action temporarily; stop

to hesitate; delayshe replied without pausing

noun

a temporary stop or rest, esp in speech or action; short break

prosody another word for caesura

Also called: fermata music a continuation of a note or rest beyond its normal lengthUsual symbol:

give pause to to cause to hesitate

Derived Formspausal, adjectivepauser, nounpausing, noun, adjective

Word Origin for pause

C15: from Latin pausa pause, from Greek pausis, from pauein to halt

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

Word Origin and History for pause (1 of 2)

pause

early 15c., from Old French pausee "a pause, interruption" (14c.) and directly from Latin pausa "a halt, stop, cessation," from Greek pausis "stopping, ceasing," from pauein "to stop, to cause to cease," from PIE root *paus- "to leave, desert, cease, stop."

Word Origin and History for pause (1 of 2)

pause

mid-15c., from pause (n.) and from Middle French pauser, from Late Latin pausare "to halt, cease, pause." Related: Paused; pausing.

pause

noun

verb (used without object), paused, paus·ing.

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Origin of pause

Examples from the Web for pause

British Dictionary definitions for pause

pause

verb (intr)

noun

Word Origin for pause

Word Origin and History for pause (1 of 2)

pause

Word Origin and History for pause (1 of 2)

pause

Medicine definitions for pause

pause

n.

Idioms and Phrases with pause

pause