delay
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
-
the act of delaying; procrastination.
- Synonyms:
- loitering
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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.
verb
-
(tr) to put off to a later time; defer
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(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
noun
-
the act or an instance of delaying or being delayed
-
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
-
delayernoun
-
predelaynoun
-
delayableadjective
-
undelayableadjective
-
undelayingadjective
-
delayinglyadverb
-
undelayinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
delaysimple
-
delayssimple
-
have delayedperfect
-
has delayedperfect
-
am delayingprogressive
-
are delayingprogressive
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is delayingprogressive
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have been delayingperfect progressive
-
has been delayingperfect progressive
Past
-
delayedsimple
-
had delayedperfect
-
was delayingprogressive
-
were delayingprogressive
-
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:
Friday’s agreement with the state attorneys general to delay the merger’s close until after an antitrust trial, which will likely be held in 2027, also was unsettling to shareholders and some employees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
“As the delay lengthens, financing costs, integration risk, transaction expenses and lost strategic flexibility become increasingly tangible,” said Barak Orbach, a law and business professor at the University of Arizona.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
There was a lengthy delay to the competition before Langton was taken away on a trolley and then a stretcher.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
A blocked street can delay an ambulance or endanger someone whose emergency has nothing to do with immigration enforcement.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Without delay, eight Luftwaffe fighters swooped down on Zhenya’s formation of Pe-2s.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
The delays caused many to question why California, which has instituted a series of reforms in recent years designed to make voting easier and safer, lags behind other states in counting results.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
On Friday, Elon Musk’s space-technology company launched its megarocket for the 13th time, after a handful of delays had pushed the mission back by about a week.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Despite several delays, Masud is due to go on trial in August this year.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Over the past six months, prices for smuggled Nvidia chips have more than doubled, according to Chinese distributors, due to tightened U.S. enforcement and shipping delays in the Middle East.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Even the fine weather that prevailed in the first couple of weeks of April caused delays.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
The women's fixture was washed out and the men's game delayed by 30 minutes but, once the action got under way, fans were treated to a sensational innings from Buttler.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
I would add that the Salinger myth also delayed a reckoning with his most famous character’s mental health.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
The criticism surrounding Fire Point has had at least one tangible consequence, she acknowledges: some projects with foreign partners were delayed for several months for additional compliance procedures.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Housing and healthcare costs and other basic living expenses, however, generally cannot be delayed.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
By then my legs had begun to shake from delayed shock!
From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall
In his memo, Ellison said delaying the deal until after a trial before Martínez-Olguín made sense.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
The means they deployed were not violent resistance, but warning, watching, accompanying, documenting, delaying, material support, and refusing isolation.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Claude replied that delaying benefits might make sense.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
The fines against Google have been expected for months as part of a probe that began in 2024, but Brussels has faced claims of delaying the move over fears of hurting ties with Washington.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
But I also knew what the doctors had said about not delaying treatment at this point.
From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick
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.