delay
dih-LAY
Delay (noun) means a period of waiting before something happens; a hold-up. Example: “There was a two-hour delay at the airport because of fog.”
noun
1
A period of waiting before something happens; a hold-up.
"There was a two-hour delay at the airport because of fog."
"The delay in the project meant the launch had to be pushed back."
"Please excuse the delay in replying to your email."
verb
1
To put something off until later, or to make it happen later than planned.
"They delayed the wedding until the following spring."
"Heavy traffic delayed our arrival by nearly an hour."
"Don't delay booking your tickets or they will sell out."
How to use delay
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishPutting something off, or the wait that happens before something occurs.
Common pairings
a slight delay
delay a decision
without delay
cause a delay
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Word forms
- Plural
- delays
- Third person singular
- delays
- Past tense
- delayed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
There was a two-hour _____ at the airport because of fog.
Etymology
From Old French delaier, ultimately tied to Old Frankish roots meaning "to hinder" — a distant cousin of the word "dally."
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for delay
See all rhymes for delay →Frequently asked questions
What does “delay” mean?
The word “delay” means a period of waiting before something happens; a hold-up. In plain terms, putting something off, or the wait that happens before something occurs.
How do you pronounce “delay”?
“Delay” is pronounced dih-LAY (/dɪˈleɪ̯/ in IPA).
How do you use “delay” in a sentence?
Here is “delay” used in a sentence: “There was a two-hour delay at the airport because of fog.”
What is another word for “delay”?
Words with a similar meaning to “delay” include hold-up, deferment, dilation, detain, hinder and hesitance.
What part of speech is “delay”?
Depending on how it is used, “delay” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “delay” come from?
The word “delay” comes from Old French. From Old French delaier, ultimately tied to Old Frankish roots meaning "to hinder" — a distant cousin of the word "dally.".
Is “delay” a common word?
“Delay” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “delay” have?
“Delay” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a period of waiting before something happens; a hold-up.
What is the difference between a delay and a postponement?
A delay is any hold-up that makes something happen later than expected, often unplanned and out of your control, like a traffic delay. A postponement is a deliberate decision to move something to a later time or date. One usually just happens; the other is chosen on purpose.
What is an example of a delay?
A flight held on the runway for an hour, a train arriving late, a parcel that takes extra days, or a meeting that starts behind schedule are all delays. In each case there is a period of waiting before the thing finally happens — a hold-up between the expected time and the real one.
What causes delays?
Delays arise from anything that interrupts a schedule — bad weather, technical faults, heavy traffic, staff shortages, waiting on approvals, or unexpected problems. Whether the cause is mechanical, human, or environmental, the result is the same: a period of waiting before something can happen, pushing it later than planned.
What is the opposite of a delay?
There is no single perfect antonym, but the opposite idea is promptness, punctuality, or something happening on time or even ahead of schedule. Where a delay adds waiting and pushes an event later, being early or on time removes that hold-up entirely.
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