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- DictionaryDe·lay/dəˈlā/
verb
- 1. make (someone or something) late or slow: "the train was delayed"
noun
- 1. a period of time by which something is late or postponed: "a two-hour delay"
to cause someone or something to be slow or late: I was delayed by traffic. [ I ] to not act quickly or immediately: If you delay now, the opportunity might be lost. Fewer examples. The new treatment can delay the onset of the disease by several years. This decision may delay the process of European unification.
A delay is a wait or a postponement. An unexpected delay before the start of a play might make the audience restless and noisy. During a delay, you have to wait around for things to begin. Delay is also a verb: "That burnt pizza is going to delay dinner for at least another hour."
to cause someone or something to be slow or late: [ often passive ] I was delayed by traffic. delay. noun [ C, U ] uk / dɪˈleɪ / us. A2. a period when you have to wait longer than expected for something to happen: An accident caused long delays on the UK motorway / US freeway. More examples.
[countable, uncountable] a period of time when somebody/something has to wait because of a problem that makes something slow or late. Commuters will face long delays on the roads today. to experience/suffer delays. to avoid/minimize further delays. Increased congestion and traffic delays are expected. a delay of two hours/a two-hour delay.
May 1, 2024 · delay in British English. (dɪˈleɪ ) verb. 1. (transitive) to put off to a later time; defer. 2. (transitive) to slow up, hinder, or cause to be late; detain. 3. (intransitive) to be irresolute or put off doing something; procrastinate.
Delay definition: to put off to a later time; defer; postpone. See examples of DELAY used in a sentence.
Noun. Filter. verb. delayed, delaying, delays. To stop for a while; linger. Webster's New World. To put off to a future time; postpone. Webster's New World. Similar definitions. To cause to be later or slower than expected or desired. Heavy traffic delayed us. American Heritage. To make late; slow up; detain. Webster's New World.
