Delay

/dɪˈleɪ/

Meaning & Definition

noun

The act of making something late or postponing it.

There was a significant delay in the delivery of the goods.

A period of time by which something is late.

The flight experienced a two-hour delay.

A situation in which something is stopped or slowed down.

The delay in traffic caused us to arrive late to the concert.

verb

To make someone or something late or to postpone an action.

The meeting was delayed due to a scheduling conflict.

To put off or defer something to a later time.

We decided to delay the release of the project until next month.

To cause to be slow or to slow down.

The construction work was delayed by bad weather.

Middle English 'delaien', from Old French 'delayer', from de- 'of' + 'layer' (to put).

in the meantime

during the time before something happens or before a specified period ends.

delayed gratification

the ability to resist the temptation for an immediate reward and wait for a later reward.

delayed reaction

a response that occurs after a time lapse.

postponement

the action of delaying something.

tardy

occurring after the expected or usual time.

reschedule

to change the time of a planned event to a later time.

to ghost

He totally delayed on our plans and didn’t show up.

to bail

She delayed on our date and canceled last minute.