delay

Pronunciation: /dɪˈleɪ̯/

Reading level: medium

Estimated CEFR level: A2 — Elementary

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun time during which some action is awaited
  2. noun the act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time
  3. verb cause to be slowed down or delayed

Etymology

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.

In classic literature

Synonyms

hold, time lag, postponement, wait

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
pause
Narrower (hyponyms)
extension, moratorium, retardation

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