Meanings
delay1
noundelay (countable and uncountable, plural delays)
plural delays
- countableuncountableA period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.
Two twenty minutes' delays.
4 more examples
the delay before the echo of a sound
Without any delay, on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 25:17The government ought to be settled without the delay of a day.
1848, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume 1, London: A. and W. Galignani & Co., published 1849, page 522In this article I'm thinking about the big delays, over two hours. While rare, they make the news and help to deter people from future rail travel, both travellers and news viewers.
2019 October, Ian Walmsley, “Cleaning up”, in Modern Railways, page 42Synonyms: cunctation
- countableuncountableboard gamesAn amount of time provided on each move before one's clock starts to tick; a less common time control than increment.
verbdelay (third-person singular simple present delays, present participle delaying, simple past and past participle delayed)
present singular third person delays · participle present delaying · participle past delayed · past delayed
- transitiveTo retard; to temporarily stop, detain, or hinder.
The mail is delayed by a heavy fall of snow.
1 more example
Mr. Cooke had had a sloop yacht built at Far Harbor, the completion of which had been delayed, and which was but just delivered. […] The Maria had a cabin, which was finished in hard wood and yellow plush, and accommodations for keeping things cold.
1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter X, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLCSynonyms: belate
- intransitiveTo wait, hesitate, tarry.
Don't delay; this special offer ends at midnight!
1 more example
Don't delay Something tells me I gotta go away
2009, Ingrid Michaelson, “Once Was Love”, in EverybodySynonyms: procrastinate
delay2
verbdelay (third-person singular simple present delays, present participle delaying, simple past and past participle delayed)
present singular third person delays · participle present delaying · participle past delayed · past delayed
Delay3
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.
Similar
nounSynonym of promise (“object representing delayed result”).
Similar
verbTo put off until a later time; to defer.
verbTo retard; to temporarily stop, detain, or hinder.
Similar
verbTo wait, hesitate, tarry.
Similar
verbTo allay; to temper.
Similar
Broader
More synonyms by meaning
nountime during which some action is awaited
Similar
Broader
nounthe act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time
Similar
Broader
verbcause to be slowed down or delayed
Opposite
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
delay · noun, verb
- Proto-Indo-European*leyp-“to remain, continue”
- Proto-Germanic*laibijaną“to leave, cause to stay”
- Frankish*laibijan
- Proto-Indo-European*leh₁d-“to leave, leave behind”
- Proto-Germanic*latjaną“to delay, hinder, stall”
- Frankish*lattjan
- Old Frenchlaier“to leave”
- Anglo-Normandelaier
- Middle Englishdelaien
- Englishdelay
From Middle English delaien, borrowed from Anglo-Norman delaier, Old French deslaier, from des- + Old French laier (“to leave”), a conflation of Old Frankish *lattjan ("to delay, hinder"; from Proto-Germanic *latjaną (“to delay, hinder, stall”), from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- (“to leave, leave behind”)), and Old Frankish *laibijan ("to leave"; from Proto-Germanic *laibijaną (“to leave, cause to stay”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to remain, continue”)). Doublet of dally. Akin to Old English latian (“to delay, hesitate”), Old English latu (“a delay, a hindrance”), Old English lǣfan (“to leave”). More at let (to hinder), late, leave.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French
Full word history & related roots →delay · verb
- Old Frenchdelaiier
- Middle Englishdelaien
- Englishdelay
From Middle English delaien, from Old French delaiier, a variant of delaissier.
More words from Middle English, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek τριβή, ἀναβάλλω
- τριβή (tribḗ)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- ἀναβάλλω (anabállō)to put off until a later time
Arabic تَأْخِير, تَأَخَّر
- تَأْخِير (taʔḵīr)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- تَأَخَّر (taʔaḵḵar)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- أَجَّلَ (ʔajjala)to put off until a later time
- أَبْطَأَ (ʔabṭaʔa)to put off until a later time
Bulgarian отла́гане, заба́вяне
- отла́гане (otlágane)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- заба́вяне (zabávjane)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- закъсне́ние (zakăsnénie)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- колебая се (kolebaja se)to put off until a later time
- отла́гам (otlágam)to put off until a later time
- отло́жа (otlóža)to put off until a later time
- заба́вям (zabávjam)to put off until a later time
- заба́вя (zabávja)to put off until a later time
Catalan retard, demora
- retardperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- demoraperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- endarrerimentperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- endarrerirto put off until a later time
- demorarto put off until a later time
Chinese Mandarin 遲延 /迟延, 延遲 /延迟
- 遲延 /迟延 (chíyán)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- 延遲 /延迟 (yánchí)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- 遲延 /迟延 (chíyán)to put off until a later time
- 延遲 /延迟 (yánchí)to put off until a later time
- 耽誤 /耽误to put off until a later time
Czech zpoždění
- zpožděníperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
Danish forsinke, udsætte
- forsinketo put off until a later time
- udsætteto put off until a later time
- opsætteto put off until a later time
Dutch vertraging, oponthoud
- vertragingperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- oponthoudperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- uitstellento put off until a later time
- verdagento put off until a later time
Esperanto prokrasto, prokrasti
- prokrastoperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- prokrastito put off until a later time
- malfruigito put off until a later time
Finnish viivästys, viive
- viivästysperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- viiveperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- viipymäperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- viivästymäperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- jahkailuperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- viivyttelyperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- vitkasteluperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- aikailuperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- kuhnailuperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- lykkäysperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- vitkutteluperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- viivyttääto put off until a later time
- viivästyttääto put off until a later time
- viivästääto put off until a later time
- lykätäto put off until a later time
- myöhäistääto put off until a later time
- siirtää tuonnemmaksito put off until a later time
- siirtää myöhemmäksito put off until a later time
- siirtää eteenpäinto put off until a later time
French délai, retard
- délaiperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- retardperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- retarderto put off until a later time
German Verzögerung, Verspätung
- Verzögerungperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- Verspätungperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- aufschiebento put off until a later time
- unterbrechento put off until a later time
- sich verspätento put off until a later time
- verschiebento put off until a later time
- vertagento put off until a later time
- verzögernto put off until a later time
- zögernto put off until a later time
Greek αναβάλλω
- αναβάλλω (anavállo)to put off until a later time
Hebrew איחור, אִחוּר
- איחורperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- אִחוּר (ikhúr)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- איכובperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- עכוּב (ikúv)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- עִכֵּב (ikév)to put off until a later time
Hindi देर, विलंब
- देर (der)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- विलंब (vilamb)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
Hungarian késedelem, késés
- késedelemperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- késésperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- elhalasztto put off until a later time
- elnapolto put off until a later time
- elodázto put off until a later time
- felfüggesztto put off until a later time
- halasztto put off until a later time
Icelandic töf, seinka
- töfperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- seinkato put off until a later time
Indonesian keterlambatan
- keterlambatanperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
Irish faillí
- faillíperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
Italian ritardo, differire
- ritardoperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- differireto put off until a later time
- rimandareto put off until a later time
Japanese 遅れ, 遅延
- 遅れ (okure)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- 遅延 (chien)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- 遅延させるto put off until a later time
- 遅らせる (okuraseru)to put off until a later time
Korean 지연, 지체
- 지연 (jiyeon)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- 지체 (jiche)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
Latin mora, cunctor
- moraperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- cunctorto put off until a later time
- demororto put off until a later time
- mororto put off until a later time
Lithuanian atidėti
- atidėtito put off until a later time
Malay tangguhkan
- tangguhkanto put off until a later time
Māori akutōtanga, roa
- akutōtangaperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- roaperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- whakaakutōto put off until a later time
- takawareto put off until a later time
- whakatōmurito put off until a later time
Norwegian Bokmål forsinkelse, utsette
- forsinkelseperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- utsetteto put off until a later time
Persian دِرَنگ, دیرکَرد
- دِرَنگ (derang)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- دیرکَرد (dirkard)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
Polish opóźnienie, opóźniać
- opóźnienieperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- opóźniaćto put off until a later time
- opóźnićto put off until a later time
Portuguese atraso, demora
- atrasoperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- demoraperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- moraperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- esperaperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- delayperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- atrasarto put off until a later time
- adiarto put off until a later time
- protelarto put off until a later time
- postergarto put off until a later time
- retardarto put off until a later time
Romanian întârziere, întârzia
- întârziereperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- întârziato put off until a later time
- amânato put off until a later time
Russian заде́ржка, промедле́ние
- заде́ржка (zadéržka)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- промедле́ние (promedlénije)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- опозда́ние (opozdánije)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- откла́дывать (otkládyvatʹ)to put off until a later time
- отложи́ть (otložítʹ)to put off until a later time
- заде́рживать (zadérživatʹ)to put off until a later time
- задержа́ть (zaderžátʹ)to put off until a later time
Scottish Gaelic dàil
- dàilperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
Slovak sklz, zdržanie
- sklzperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- zdržanieperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- meškanieperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
Spanish retraso, demora
- retrasoperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- demoraperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- atrasoperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- retardoperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- atrasarto put off until a later time
- demorarto put off until a later time
- retrasarto put off until a later time
- retardarto put off until a later time
- remorarto put off until a later time
- perecearto put off until a later time
Swedish försening, fördröjning
- förseningperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- fördröjningperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- uppskovperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- skjuta uppto put off until a later time
- senareläggato put off until a later time
- fördröjato put off until a later time
Thai ดีเลย์, รอรี
- ดีเลย์period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- รอรีto put off until a later time
- รีรอto put off until a later time
- ลังเล (lang-lee)to put off until a later time
- ชักช้า (chák-cháa)to put off until a later time
Turkish gecikme, rötar
- gecikmeperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- rötarperiod of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- ertelemekto put off until a later time
Ukrainian за́тримка, затри́мка
- за́тримка (zátrymka)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- затри́мка (zatrýmka)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- заде́ржка (zadéržka)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- га́янка (hájanka)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- зволіка́ння (zvolikánnja)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- спі́знення (spíznennja)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- відклада́ти (vidkladáty)to put off until a later time
- відкла́сти (vidklásty)to put off until a later time
Urdu دیر
- دیر (der)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
Vietnamese hoãn, trì hoãn
- hoãnto put off until a later time
- trì hoãnto put off until a later time
Yiddish אָפּלייג, אָפּלייגן
- אָפּלייג (opleyg)period of time before an event occurs; act of delaying
- אָפּלייגן (opleygn)to put off until a later time
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with delay
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
delay. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/delay
MLA
“delay.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/delay. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “delay,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/delay.
Source: delay on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.