Synonyms for delay
dɪˈleɪde·lay

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. delayverb

   Synonyms:
   put off, suspend, postpone, defer, forslow, put on ice, adjourn

2. delayverb

   previously unexpected period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying.

   Synonyms:
   put off, forslow, suspend, put on ice, defer, postpone, adjourn

3. delayverb

   To retard; to stop, detain, or hinder, for a time.

   Synonyms:
   forslow, suspend, put off, postpone, adjourn, put on ice, defer

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. delay

   To hinder is to keep from action, progress, motion, or growth, or to make such action, progress, motion, or growth later in beginning or completion than it would otherwise have been. An action is prevented by anything that comes in before it to make it impossible; it is hindered by anything that keeps it from either beginning or ending so soon as it otherwise would, or as expected or intended. It is more common, however, to say that the start is delayed, the progress hindered. An action that is hindered does not take place at the appointed or appropriate time; that which is prevented does not take place at all; to hinder a thing long enough may amount to preventing it. A railroad-train may be hindered by a snow-storm from arriving on time; it may by special order be prevented from starting. To retard is simply to make slow by any means whatever. To obstruct is to hinder, or possibly to prevent advance or passage by putting something in the way; to oppose or resist is to hinder, or possibly to prevent by directly contrary or hostile action, resist being the stronger term and having more suggestion of physical force; obstructed roads hinder the march of an enemy, tho there may be no force strong enough to oppose it; one opposes a measure, a motion, an amendment, or the like; it is a criminal offense to resist an officer in the discharge of his duty; the physical system may resist the attack of disease or the action of a remedy. Compare CONQUER; IMPEDIMENT; OBSTRUCT.

   See synonyms for QUICKEN.

   Synonyms:
   baffle, balk, bar, block, check, clog, counteract, embarrass, encumber, foil, frustrate, hamper, hinder, impede, interrupt, obstruct, oppose, prevent, resist, retard, stay, stop, thwart

   Preposition:
   Hinder one in his progress; from acting promptly; by opposition.

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:3.5 / 2 votes

1. delay, hold, time lag, postponement, waitnoun

   time during which some action is awaited

   "instant replay caused too long a delay"; "he ordered a hold in the action"

   Synonyms:
   clutch, grip, storage area, keep, holdup, detainment, deferral, handle, hold, appreciation, handgrip, wait, cargo area, detention, postponement, waiting, custody, clasp, cargo deck, clench, clutches, grasp, time lag, deferment, cargo hold

   Antonyms:
   hurry, rush

2. delay, holdupverb

   the act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time

   Synonyms:
   stickup, time lag, holdup, wait, armed robbery, postponement, heist, hold

   Antonyms:
   rush, hurry

3. delay, detain, hold upverb

   cause to be slowed down or delayed

   "Traffic was delayed by the bad weather"; "she delayed the work that she didn't want to perform"

   Synonyms:
   go, live, detain, stick up, stay, last, confine, hold up, hold out, hold, sustain, hold water, live on, support, check, retard, endure, stand up, withstand, defy, survive

   Antonyms:
   hurry, rush

4. delayverb

   act later than planned, scheduled, or required

   "Don't delay your application to graduate school or else it won't be considered"

   Synonyms:
   retard, hold up, check, detain, stay

   Antonyms:
   hurry, rush

5. stay, detain, delayverb

   stop or halt

   "Please stay the bloodshed!"

   Synonyms:
   quell, bide, stick, stay, last out, confine, hold up, ride out, persist, check, rest, appease, remain, stick around, abide, retard, stay on, stay put, outride, continue, detain

   Antonyms:
   hurry, rush

6. check, retard, delayverb

   slow the growth or development of

   "The brain damage will retard the child's language development"

   Synonyms:
   checker, check, slow up, slow down, moderate, mark, slow, watch, look into, crack, check up on, arrest, go over, tick off, match, tick, fit, hold back, stop, ascertain, determine, assure, find out, agree, turn back, stay, check into, train, break, control, check off, check out, learn, curb, hold up, hold, see to it, see, chequer, discipline, mark off, tally, ensure, decelerate, hold in, suss out, detain, contain, check over, jibe, condition, retard, correspond, insure, gibe

   Antonyms:
   rush, hurry

Matched Categories

1. • Wait

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. delayverb

   Synonyms:
   defer, postpone, procrastinate, put off, stave off, let lie over

2. delayverb

   Synonyms:
   detain, hinder, retard, step, impede

3. delayverb

   Synonyms:
   linger, tarry, stop, procrastinate

4. delaynoun

   Synonyms:
   procrastination, postponement, deferring, the fabian policy, masterly inactivity

5. delaynoun

   Synonyms:
   detention, stay, stop, hinderance

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. delaynoun

   Synonyms:
   deferring, deferment, procrastination, postponement, respite, reprieve, retardation, retention, obstruction, dawdling, lingering, dalliance

   Antonyms:
   dispatch, promptness, expedition, haste

2. delayverb

   Synonyms:
   postpone, defer, procrastinate, suspend, reprieve, retard, impede, hinder, obstruct, linger, tarry, dawdle, dally

   Antonyms:
   dispatch, hasten, expedite, facilitate

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "delay":

   delays, postpone, delaying, retardation, postponement, delayed, backlog, late, backwardness, deadline, defer, lag, lateness, procrastination, tardiness, demora, retard, ado, postponed, time-limit, period, slippage, postpones, overdue, behind, timeframe, deferral, time, wait

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use delay in a sentence?

1. Angela Rasmussen:

   Your body has basically a fire alarm system that's a sprinkler system all at the same time... [ This ] is the first line of defense against different viral infections. When that system is delayed at triggering the alarm, and then consequently triggering the defenses, people tend to have worse outcomes and more severe disease, we're still learning about what makes that delay happen. But that does seem to be one of the major driving factors in how sick people will ultimately get.

2. Nick Calio:

   If there needs to be a delay or an extension in order to get transformational change accomplished, that's a far different situation than people arguing over funding, slots and other things.

3. Ron Wyden:

   When millions of workers are unemployed through no fault of their own and sectors of the economy are struggling mightily, there is no excuse for delay.

4. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley:

   This has delayed the re-entry of additional response personnel as well as vehicle retrieval efforts, it is clear that this is something that could potentially delay recovery work and the return to the community.

5. British Health Minister Matt Hancock:

   We are taking all necessary measures to minimise the risk, the public can be assured that we have a clear plan to contain, delay, research and mitigate this virus.