delay


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de·lay

 (dĭ-lā′)
v. de·layed, de·lay·ing, de·lays
v.tr.
1. To postpone until a later time; defer.
2. To cause to be later or slower than expected or desired: Heavy traffic delayed us.
v.intr.
To act or move slowly; put off an action or a decision.
n.
1. The act of delaying; postponement: responded without delay.
2. The condition of being delayed; detainment.
3. The period of time during which one is delayed.
4. The interval of time between two events.

[Middle English delaien, from Anglo-Norman delaier, from Old French deslaier : des-, de- + laier, to leave, of Germanic origin; see leip- in Indo-European roots.]

de·lay′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

delay

(dɪˈleɪ)
vb
1. (tr) to put off to a later time; defer
2. (tr) to slow up, hinder, or cause to be late; detain
3. (intr) to be irresolute or put off doing something; procrastinate
4. (intr) to linger; dawdle
n
5. the act or an instance of delaying or being delayed
6. the interval between one event and another; lull; interlude
[C13: from Old French delaier, from des- off + laier, variant of laissier to leave, from Latin laxāre to loosen, from laxus slack, lax]
deˈlayer n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

de•lay

(dɪˈleɪ)

v.t.
1. to put off to a later time; postpone.
2. to impede the process or progress of; retard: The fog delayed the plane's landing.
v.i.
3. to put off action; linger; loiter.
n.
4. the act of delaying; procrastination; loitering.
5. an instance of being delayed.
[1225–75; < Old French delaier (v.), delai (n.)]
de•lay′a•ble, adj.
de•lay′er, n.
syn: See defer1.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

delay

cancelpostponeput off
1. 'delay'

If you delay doing something, you do it at a later time.

The government delayed granting passports to them until a week before their departure.
Try and persuade them to delay some of the changes.

If a plane, train, ship, or bus is delayed, it is prevented from leaving or arriving on time.

The coach was delayed for about five hours.
The flight has been delayed one hour, due to weather conditions.
2. 'cancel'

If you cancel something that was arranged, you decide officially that it will not take place.

The Russian foreign minister has cancelled his trip to Washington.
Over 80 flights were cancelled because of bad weather.
3. 'postpone' and 'put off'

If you postpone or put off an event, you arrange for it to take place at a later time than was originally planned. Postpone is more formal than put off.

The crew did not know that the invasion had been postponed.
This is not a decision that can be put off much longer.
The Association has put the event off until October.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

delay


Past participle: delayed
Gerund: delaying

Imperative
delay
delay
Present
I delay
you delay
he/she/it delays
we delay
you delay
they delay
Preterite
I delayed
you delayed
he/she/it delayed
we delayed
you delayed
they delayed
Present Continuous
I am delaying
you are delaying
he/she/it is delaying
we are delaying
you are delaying
they are delaying
Present Perfect
I have delayed
you have delayed
he/she/it has delayed
we have delayed
you have delayed
they have delayed
Past Continuous
I was delaying
you were delaying
he/she/it was delaying
we were delaying
you were delaying
they were delaying
Past Perfect
I had delayed
you had delayed
he/she/it had delayed
we had delayed
you had delayed
they had delayed
Future
I will delay
you will delay
he/she/it will delay
we will delay
you will delay
they will delay
Future Perfect
I will have delayed
you will have delayed
he/she/it will have delayed
we will have delayed
you will have delayed
they will have delayed
Future Continuous
I will be delaying
you will be delaying
he/she/it will be delaying
we will be delaying
you will be delaying
they will be delaying
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been delaying
you have been delaying
he/she/it has been delaying
we have been delaying
you have been delaying
they have been delaying
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been delaying
you will have been delaying
he/she/it will have been delaying
we will have been delaying
you will have been delaying
they will have been delaying
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been delaying
you had been delaying
he/she/it had been delaying
we had been delaying
you had been delaying
they had been delaying
Conditional
I would delay
you would delay
he/she/it would delay
we would delay
you would delay
they would delay
Past Conditional
I would have delayed
you would have delayed
he/she/it would have delayed
we would have delayed
you would have delayed
they would have delayed
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

delay

Offensive strategy to use up time by denying the ball to the opponents and thus preserve a lead.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.delay - time during which some action is awaiteddelay - time during which some action is awaited; "instant replay caused too long a delay"; "he ordered a hold in the action"
pause, suspension, intermission, interruption, break - a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
extension - a mutually agreed delay in the date set for the completion of a job or payment of a debt; "they applied for an extension of the loan"
moratorium - a legally authorized postponement before some obligation must be discharged
retardation - the extent to which something is delayed or held back
2.delay - the act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time
disruption, interruption, gap, break - an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity; "it was presented without commercial breaks"; "there was a gap in his account"
inactivity - being inactive; being less active
demurrage - detention of a ship or freight car or other cargo beyond its scheduled time of departure
forbearance - a delay in enforcing rights or claims or privileges; refraining from acting; "his forbearance to reply was alarming"
deferment, deferral, postponement - act of putting off to a future time
cunctation, procrastination, shillyshally - the act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or defering an action to a later time
lag, slowdown, retardation - the act of slowing down or falling behind
dalliance, dawdling, trifling - the deliberate act of delaying and playing instead of working
filibuster - (law) a tactic for delaying or obstructing legislation by making long speeches
lingering, tarriance - the act of tarrying
Verb1.delay - 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"
decelerate, slow, slow down, slow up - lose velocity; move more slowly; "The car decelerated"
stonewall - engage in delaying tactics or refuse to cooperate; "The President stonewalled when he realized the plot was being uncovered by a journalist"
catch - delay or hold up; prevent from proceeding on schedule or as planned; "I was caught in traffic and missed the meeting"
stall - deliberately delay an event or action; "she doesn't want to write the report, so she is stalling"
buy time - act so as to delay an event or action in order to gain an advantage
hurry, rush - urge to an unnatural speed; "Don't rush me, please!"
2.delay - act later than planned, scheduled, or required; "Don't delay your application to graduate school or else it won't be considered"
pause, hesitate - interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing; "The speaker paused"
hold off, wait, hold back - wait before acting; "the scientists held off announcing their results until they repeated the experiment"
dillydally, dilly-dally, drag one's feet, drag one's heels, procrastinate, stall, shillyshally - postpone doing what one should be doing; "He did not want to write the letter and procrastinated for days"
procrastinate - postpone or delay needlessly; "He procrastinated the matter until it was almost too late"
postpone, prorogue, put off, defer, set back, shelve, table, put over, remit, hold over - hold back to a later time; "let's postpone the exam"
3.delay - stop or halt; "Please stay the bloodshed!"
delay, check - slow the growth or development of; "The brain damage will retard the child's language development"
4.delay - slow the growth or development of; "The brain damage will retard the child's language development"
alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"
dampen - check; keep in check (a fire)
detain, delay, stay - stop or halt; "Please stay the bloodshed!"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

delay

verb
1. put off, suspend, postpone, stall, shelve, prolong, defer, hold over, temporize, put on the back burner (informal), protract, take a rain check on (U.S. & Canad. informal) I delayed my departure until she could join me.
3. linger, lag, loiter, dawdle, tarry, dilly-dally (informal), drag your feet or heels (informal) If he delayed any longer, the sun would be up.
noun
1. hold-up, wait, check, setback, interruption, obstruction, stoppage, impediment, hindrance Air restrictions might mean delays for Easter holidaymakers.
2. dawdling, lingering, loitering, procrastination, tarrying, dilly-dallying (informal) We'll send you a quote without delay.
3. postponement, suspension, putting off, adjournment, stay, deferment, deferral A delay of the federal trial was granted.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

delay

verb
1. To put off until a later time:
Informal: wait.
Idiom: put on ice.
2. To cause to be later or slower than expected or desired:
3. To go or move slowly so that progress is hindered:
noun
1. The act of putting off or the condition of being put off:
2. The condition or fact of being made late or slow:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
تأَخُّرتَأْخِيرسوفيُؤَجِّليُؤَخِّر
zpožděnízpozditodkládatodložitprodlení
forsinkeforsinkelseudsætteudsættelseudskyde
viivyttääviivytyssiirtääviivästyttää
odgodaodgoditi
késedelem
töftefja
遅れ遅れる
지연지연하다
gaišimassugaišintiužgaišimasužgaištiužlaikyti
aizkavēšanaaizkavētatlikšanaatliktnovilcināšana
odložitipreprečitizakasnitizamuda
försenaförsening
ความล่าช้าล่าช้า
sự trì hoãntrì hoãn

delay

[dɪˈleɪ]
A. N (= hold-up) → retraso m, demora f (esp LAm); (= act of delaying) → retraso m, dilación f; (to traffic) → retención f, atasco m; (to train) → retraso m
the tests have caused some delaylas pruebas han ocasionado algún retraso
there will be delays to traffichabrá retenciones or atascos en las carreteras
"delays possible until Dec 2000"posibles retenciones hasta Diciembre de 2000
without delaysin demora
these measures should be implemented without further delayestas medidas deben ponerse en práctica sin más demora
B. VT (= hold up) [+ person] → retrasar, entretener; [+ train] → retrasar; [+ start, opening] → retrasar, demorar (LAm); (= postpone) → aplazar, demorar (LAm); (= obstruct) → impedir
the train was delayed for two hoursel tren se retrasó dos horas
we decided to delay our departuredecidimos retrasar la salida
what delayed you?¿por qué has tardado tanto?
to delay doing sth: we delayed going out until Jane arrivedretrasamos la salida hasta que llegara Jane
the illness could have been treated if you hadn't delayed going to the doctorse hubiera podido tratar la enfermedad si no hubieras tardado tanto en ir al médico
delayed broadcast (US) → transmisión f en diferido
delayed effectefecto m retardado
C. VItardar, demorarse (LAm)
don't delay! (in doing sth) → ¡no pierdas tiempo!; (on the way) → ¡no te entretengas!, ¡no tardes!, ¡no te demores! (LAm)
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

delay

[dɪˈleɪ]
vt
(= postpone) [+ journey, operation, event] → différer; [+ payment] → différer
We decided to delay our departure → Nous avons décidé de différer notre départ.
(= hold up) [+ traveller, train, plane] → retarder
to be delayed → être retardé(e)
Our flight was delayed → Notre vol a été retardé.
vitarder
don't delay! → dépêchez-vous!
n
(= hold-up) → retard m
There will be delays to trains on the London-Brighton line → Il y aura des retards sur la ligne Londres-Brighton.
a delay on a flight → un retard sur un vol
to cause delay → occasionner un retard
without delay (= immediately) → sans délai, sans tarder
(= postponement) → délai m
a delay in doing sth → un délai pour faire qch
a delay on sth [+ plan, action] → un ajournement de qchdelayed action delayed-action modif [bomb, fuse, parachute] → à retardementdelaying tactic nmanœuvre f dilatoire
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

delay

vt
(= postpone)verschieben, aufschieben; orgasmhinauszögern; to delay doing somethinges verschieben or aufschieben, etw zu tun; he delayed paying until …er wartete so lange mit dem Zahlen, bis …; he delayed writing the letterer schob den Brief auf; rain delayed playder Beginn des Spiels verzögerte sich wegen Regens
(= hold up) person, train, trafficaufhalten
vi (= wait)warten; if you delay too long in bookingwenn Sie zu lange mit der Buchung warten; to delay in doing somethinges verschieben or aufschieben, etw zu tun; he delayed in paying the biller schob die Zahlung der Rechnung hinaus; don’t delay!verlieren Sie keine Zeit!, tun Sie es unverzüglich!; don’t delay in sending it insenden Sie es unverzüglich ein
n (= hold-up)Aufenthalt m; (to traffic) → Stockung f; (to train, plane) → Verspätung f; (= time lapse)Verzögerung f; roadworks are causing delays of up to 1 hourStraßenbauarbeiten verursachen Staus bis zu 1 Stunde; “delays possible (until …)”„Staugefahr! (bis …)“; there are delays to all flightsalle Flüge haben Verspätung; a split second’s delayeine Verzögerung von einem Bruchteil einer Sekunde; without delayunverzüglich; without further delayohne weitere Verzögerung
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

delay

[dɪˈleɪ]
1. nritardo
without delay → immediatamente
without further delay → senza ulteriore indugio
delays to traffic → rallentamenti mpl al traffico
2. vt (postpone, journey) → rimandare, rinviare; (payment) → differire; (hold up, person) → trattenere; (traffic) → far rallentare; (action, event) → ritardare
his train must have been delayed → il suo treno avrà fatto ritardo
3. vi to delay (doing sth)ritardare (a fare qc)
don't delay! → non perdere tempo!
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

delay

(diˈlei) verb
1. to put off to another time. We have delayed publication of the book till the spring.
2. to keep or stay back or slow down. I was delayed by the traffic.
noun
(something which causes) keeping back or slowing down. He came without delay; My work is subject to delays.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

delay

تَأْخِير, يَتَأَخَّرُ odkládat, zpoždění forsinke, forsinkelse Verspätung, verzögern καθυστέρηση, καθυστερώ retrasar, retraso viivyttää, viivytys retard, retarder odgoda, odgoditi ritardare, ritardo 遅れ, 遅れる 지연, 지연하다 vertragen, vertraging forsinke, forsinkelse opóźnić, opóźnienie atrasar, atraso задержка, отложить försena, försening ความล่าช้า, ล่าช้า gecikme, gecikmek sự trì hoãn, trì hoãn 拖延
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

de·lay

n. demora;
v. demorar, atrasar; postergar.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

delay

n retraso, retardo; developmental — desarrollo tardío, retraso en el desarrollo; vt retrasar, retardar
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
It will surely, therefore, be advisable to delay our union--to delay it till appearances are more promising--till affairs have taken a more favourable turn.
Is this a time for delay? Now, while we may, Let us away.
The king, who expected to pass through the city and to proceed to Vaux without delay, became quite red in the face from vexation.
Miss Vanstone raised no objection until we came to the question of time, when she amazed me by stipulating for a week's delay before we appeared in public again.
But a single delay would suffice to fatally break the chain of communication; should Phileas Fogg once miss, even by an hour; a steamer, he would have to wait for the next, and that would irrevocably render his attempt vain.
But it was plain that they meant nothing should delay their shot.
Raoul quitted the Palais-Royal full of ideas that admitted no delay in execution.
The little she said was all in lamentation of this inevitable delay; though Elinor tried to raise her spirits, and make her believe, as she THEN really believed herself, that it would be a very short one.
The loiterer often blames delay on his more active friend.
amiable Possessor of HER Heart whose hand is destined to another, why do you thus delay a confession of your attachment to the amiable Object of it?
The disordered state of the times, however, caused such a delay, that February arrived, while the vessel was yet lingering in port.
"Nay, the Lord sent the smiter to thee without delay," returned Richard smiling; "and 'tis not for me to continue a quarrel between church and state.