delay

CEFRA2

/dɪˈleɪ̯/

verb · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To make something happen later than planned.

  2. 02

    noun

    A period when something is late or held back.

Examples

  • I apologize for the delay in sending the agenda.

  • We should deal with this matter without delay.

At a glance

Sits at A2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. An audio effects unit that introduces a controlled delay.

  2. Synonym of promise (“object representing delayed result”).

noun

Extra meaning

  1. A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.

More examples

In context

  • The mail is delayed by a heavy fall of snow.

  • the delay before the echo of a sound

  • Two twenty minutes' delays.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The heavy snowstorm will likely blank the arrival of the morning flight by hours.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

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.