pause

[pawz]

noun

1. a temporary stop or rest, especially in speech or action.

   a short pause after each stroke of the oar.

   Synonyms: lacuna, hiatus, halt, break, interruption, suspension

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

   Synonyms: lacuna, hiatus, halt, break, interruption, suspension

3. any comparatively brief stop, delay, wait, etc..

   I would like to make a pause in my talk and continue after lunch.

   Synonyms: lacuna, hiatus, halt, break, interruption, suspension

4. 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.

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

6. Music.,  a fermata.

verb (used without object)

paused, pausing 

1. 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.

   Synonyms: rest

2. to dwell or linger (usually followed by on orupon ).

   to pause upon a particular point.

   Synonyms: delay, tarry

pause

/ pɔːz /

verb

1. to cease an action temporarily; stop

2. to hesitate; delay

   she replied without pausing

noun

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

2. prosody another word for caesura

3. Also called: fermata. music a continuation of a note or rest beyond its normal length

4. to cause to hesitate

Other Word Forms

• pausal adjective
• pauseful adjective
• pausefully adverb
• pauseless adjective
• pauselessly adverb
• pauser noun
• pausingly adverb
• nonpause noun
• unpausing adjective
• pausing noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pause¹

First recorded in 1400–50; (for the noun) Middle English, from Latin pausa, from Greek paûsis “a halt,” from paú(ein) “to stop” + -sis -sis; verb derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pause¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. give pause, to cause to hesitate or be unsure, as from surprise or doubt.

   These frightening statistics give us pause.

see give pause.

Example Sentences

Frederickson put the series on pause last year after opening two of her five restaurants, but brought it back over the summer.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And with AI making a comeback and the Fed likely to cut on Dec. 10, it could be set for a pause, Colas explains.

Read more on Barron's

And with AI making a comeback and the Fed likely to cut on Dec. 10, it could be set for a pause, Colas explains.

Read more on Barron's

But those considering adding stocks to their shopping cart on Black Friday may want to pause.

Read more on Barron's

Whenever there was a pause in the county’s permit machinery, Koerner said he let everyone up to and including the governor’s office know about it.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• breathing space 
• halt 
• hesitation 
• hiatus 
• hitch 
• interlude 
• intermission 
• interruption 
• interval 
• lapse 
• layoff 
• letup 
• lull 
• recess 
• respite 
• stoppage 
• suspension