delay

A2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /dəˈleɪ/ UK /dɪˈleɪ/ See IPA manual

Freq #4017

Meanings

1

verb
To make something happen later than planned, or to do it later than you should.

Bad weather delayed our flight by three hours.
2

noun
A period of time when something is made to wait or happens later than expected.

There was a long delay before the train finally arrived.
3

verb
To wait or move slowly; to put off doing something.

Don't delay; this special offer ends tonight!

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make something happen... postpone put off detainhold up

2 noun · a period of time when... hold

3 verb · to wait or move slowly; to... procrastinate

More deferment dilation forslow hesitance hesitancy hesitation hinderhold-upholdoffimpede moderate

Word family

Forms delayeddelayingdelays

Derived forms delayabilitydelayabledelayaldelayerdelayinglydelayismmultidelaynondelayingpredelayredelaytime-delayundelaying

Related forms delayedpause wait

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

delay line
an electronic circuit designed to hold back a signal for a set amount of time

Noun + noun

Proverbs (2)

See all

Etymology

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…

delaien Middle English delaier xno laier Old French *lattjan frk *latjaną Proto-Germanic *leh₁d- Proto-Indo-European *laibijan frk *laibijaną Proto-Germanic *leyp- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# delay

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /dəˈleɪ/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈleɪ/
**Frequency rank:** 4017

## Meanings
1. To make something happen later than planned, or to do it later than you should.
2. A period of time when something is made to wait or happens later than expected.
3. To wait or move slowly; to put off doing something.

## Examples
- Bad weather delayed our flight by three hours.
- There was a long delay before the train finally arrived.
- Don't delay; this special offer ends tonight!

## Synonyms
- deferment
- detain
- dilation
- forslow
- hesitance
- hesitancy
- hesitation
- hinder
- hold-up
- holdoff
- impede
- moderate

## Derived Forms
- delayability
- delayable
- delayal
- delayer
- delayingly
- delayism
- multidelay
- nondelaying
- predelay
- redelay
- time-delay
- undelaying

## Related Forms
- delayed
- pause
- wait

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: delaien
- Root: delaier
- Root: laier
- Root: *lattjan
- Root: *latjaną
- Root: *leh₁d-
- Root: *laibijan
- Root: *laibijaną
- Root: *leyp-

## Etymology
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…

## AI Etymology
delay comes 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. Current senses include to make something happen later than planned, or to do it later than you should and A period of time when something is made to wait or happens later than expected. English relatives and later formations include delayability, delayable, delayal, delayed, pause.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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