Delay — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /di-ˈlā/ de·lay

Meaning & Definition of Delay

Delay (noun)

  1. the act of postponing, hindering, or causing something to occur more slowly than normal, the state of being delayed
  2. an instance of being delayed
  3. the time during which something is delayed

Delay (verb)

  1. put off, postpone
  2. to stop, detain, or hinder for a time
  3. to cause to be slower or to occur more slowly than normal

Delay (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business

    "there was a delay for our boarding while the airplane unloaded incoming passengers"

    similar: detainment, detention, holdback, holding pattern, holdup, wait
    related: deferment, deferral, postponement, reprieve, respite, foot-dragging, hesitation, lag, pause, setback, slowdown
    near: haste, rush, dispatch, promptitude, promptness

Delay (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to move or act slowly

    "she ordered the kids to stop delaying and to get to bed"

    similar: crawl, creep, dally, dawdle, diddle, dillydally, drag, lag, linger, loiter, lollygag, mope, poke, shilly-shally, tarry, drag one's feet, drop behind, fall behind, hang fire, mark time, take one's time
    related: fiddle (around), fool around, mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle, hang (around or out), idle, loaf, loll, lounge, amble, ease, inch, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stagger, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up), filibuster, procrastinate, stall, temporize
    opposite: barrel, bolt, career, course, dash, fly, hasten, hotfoot (it), hurry, race, rip, rocket, run, rush, scoot, scud, scurry, speed, tear, whirl, whisk, whiz, zip
    near: bowl, breeze, dart, hump, hurtle, hustle, scramble, stampede, gallop, jog, run, sprint, trot, accelerate, quicken, speed (up), catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake

  2. to assign to a later time

    "our guests delayed their departure until after dinner"

    similar: defer, hold off (on), hold over, hold up, lay over, postpone, put off, put over, remit, shelve
    related: suspend, hesitate, pause, stay, detain, retard, slow, extend, lengthen, prolong, protract, stretch (out), wait
    near: act, deal (with), decide (upon), do, work (on)

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Delay

The most common words with a similar meaning to Delay:

detainment, detention, holdback, holding pattern, holdup, wait, crawl, creep, dally, dawdle, diddle, dillydally, drag, lag, linger, loiter, lollygag, mope, poke, shilly-shally, tarry, defer, hold off (on), hold over, hold up, lay over, postpone, put off, put over, remit, shelve, drag one's feet, drop behind, fall behind, hang fire, mark time, take one's time

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Delay

Words with the opposite meaning of Delay:

barrel, bolt, career, course, dash, fly, hasten, hotfoot (it), hurry, race, rip, rocket, run, rush, scoot, scud, scurry, speed, tear, whirl, whisk, whiz, zip

Related Words for Delay

deferment, deferral, postponement, reprieve, respite, foot-dragging, hesitation, pause, setback, slowdown, fiddle (around), fool around, mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle, hang (around or out), idle, loaf, loll, lounge, amble, ease, inch, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle

Near Antonyms of Delay

haste, dispatch, promptitude, promptness, bowl, breeze, dart, hump, hurtle, hustle, scramble, stampede, gallop, jog, sprint, trot, accelerate, quicken, speed (up), catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake, act, deal (with), decide (upon), do, work (on)

Word Forms of Delay

Inflections: delayed, delaying, delays

Derived words: delayer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Delay

Middle English, from Anglo-French delaier, from de- + laier to leave, from lai-, present and future stem of lesser, laisser to leave, from Latin laxare to slacken, from laxus loose slack

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Delay

Words & Phrases Containing Delay

without delay, delaying tactic

Frequently Asked Questions about Delay

What does "Delay" mean?

"Delay" means the act of postponing, hindering, or causing something to occur more slowly than normal, the state of being delayed. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: the act of postponing, hindering, or causing something to occur more slowly than normal, the state of being delayed. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Delay"?

Other words for "Delay" include detainment, detention, holdback, holding pattern, holdup, wait, crawl and creep. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Delay" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Delay"?

There are 86 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Delay". Common alternatives include detainment, detention, holdback, holding pattern, holdup, wait, crawl, creep, dally and dawdle.

What is the opposite of "Delay"?

Antonyms of "Delay" include barrel, bolt, career, course, dash, fly, hasten and hotfoot (it). Near antonyms include haste, dispatch, promptitude and promptness.

How do you use "Delay" in a sentence?

Examples of "Delay" in a sentence: "there was a delay for our boarding while the airplane unloaded incoming passengers"; "she ordered the kids to stop delaying and to get to bed"; "our guests delayed their departure until after dinner".

Is "Delay" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Delay" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Delay" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Delay" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Delay"?

"Delay" is pronounced /di-ˈlā/ and divided into syllables as de·lay.