Pause

/pɔːz/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A temporary stop or break in speech or action.

There was a pause in the conversation as everyone processed the news.

A brief interruption in activity.

After a long pause, he finally answered the question.

verb

To interrupt or stop something temporarily.

She decided to pause the movie to grab some snacks.

To take a brief break from speaking or doing something.

He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing.

Middle English paus, from Latin pausa, from Greek pausa.

take a pause:

to take a short break from an activity

pause for thought:

to take a moment to consider something

pause and reflect:

to stop and think about something carefully

A moment to stop or think, often used in discussions.

Let me pause for a second to think about that.

To take a break in a conversation or game.

We need to pause this debate for a moment.