delay
delay
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "delay" is /dɪˈleɪ/.
de-: /dɪ/ (d as in "dog", i as in "bit")
-lay: /leɪ/ (l as in "light", ay as in "say")
Word Form Variations
Verb:
Base form: delay
Third-person singular present: delays
Present participle: delaying
Past tense: delayed
Past participle: delayed
Noun:
Singular: delay
Plural: delays
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb
To postpone or put off to a later time.
Example: The meeting was delayed due to an unexpected power outage.
Synonyms: postpone, defer, put off, hold up, hinder
Antonyms: expedite, hasten, accelerate, rush
To cause someone or something to be slow or late.
Example: Heavy traffic delayed my arrival by an hour.
Synonyms: impede, obstruct, hold back, detain
Antonyms: advance, quicken, speed up, facilitate
Noun
A period of time during which something is postponed or held back; a hindrance or setback.
Example: There was a significant delay in the flight schedule.
Synonyms: postponement, deferment, holdup, wait, setback
Antonyms: expedition, promptness, haste, acceleration
Examples of Use
Books:
"He had learned that the secret to a happy life was not to avoid troubles, but to meet them head-on, without delay." (From The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho)
"The train was subject to a two-hour delay due to a signal failure north of London." (From The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins)
Newspapers:
"The parliamentary vote on the new housing bill faces further delay amidst cross-party disagreements." (The Guardian)
"A software glitch caused a significant delay in the release of the company's quarterly earnings report." (The Wall Street Journal)
Online Publications:
"Why the delay in EV charging infrastructure is hindering adoption." (Ars Technica)
"Experts warn that continued delay in climate action will lead to irreversible consequences." (The Conversation)
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Television (News Report): "Breaking news: Flight 372 to New York has an indefinite delay due to inclement weather at the destination." (CNN)
Film (Dialogue): "There can be no delay if we are to reach the antidote in time!" (From No Time to Die)
Music (Song Title/Lyrics): "Don't Delay" (a common phrase in many upbeat songs encouraging immediate action).
Video Game (In-game text): "Quest Objective: Find the ancient artifact without delay." (From The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, 2015)
General Public Discourse:
"Sorry for the delay, I got stuck in traffic." (Everyday conversation)
"We need to avoid any further delay in getting this project finished." (Workplace discussion)
"The post office often has a delay with international packages." (Personal anecdote)
"Can you delay your departure until tomorrow morning?" (Informal request)
10 Quotes Using Delay
"You may delay, but time will not." (Benjamin Franklin)
"Indecision and delays are the parents of failure." (George Canning)
"Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay." (Simone de Beauvoir)
"Justice delayed is justice denied." (William E. Gladstone)
"A delayed game is eventually good, a bad game is bad forever." (Shigeru Miyamoto)
"There is no avoidance in delay." (Aeschylus)
"The greatest remedy for anger is delay." (Lucius Annaeus Seneca)
"In delay there lies no plenty." (William Shakespeare)
"Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end." (Denis Waitley)
"The longer we delay, the more we will pay." (Ban Ki-moon)
Etymology
The word "delay" has a journey through different languages before arriving in English.
It comes to us from Old French, specifically from the word "delaier." This Old French word was formed by combining two parts:
"de-": This is a prefix that means "away" or "off." Think of words like "decline" (to lean away) or "depart" (to go away).
"laier" (or "leier"): This part meant "to leave" or "to let go." It's related to our English word "leave."
So, when you put them together, "delaier" literally meant something like "to leave off" or "to put aside."
When "delay" first appeared in English, around the late 13th century, its earliest known meaning was exactly this: to put off, postpone, or retard an action or event. It was about causing something to happen later than intended, or taking longer to do something.
Over time, the meaning also expanded to include the idea of the state of being held up or the period of time something is held up, which is how we get the noun form of "delay" today.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Delay
Without delay: Immediately; without putting it off.
Brook no delay: To not tolerate any postponement or waiting.
Delay of game: A penalty in sports for slowing down play.
Delay tactics: Methods used to slow down or postpone an action or decision.
Unnecessary delay: A postponement that is not justified.
The law's delay: Referring to the slowness or inefficiency of legal processes.
On hold: (Using a synonym) To be postponed or waiting.
Put off: (Using a synonym) To postpone or defer.
Drag one's feet: (Using a synonym) To intentionally act slowly or procrastinate.
Kick the can down the road: (Using a synonym) To postpone a decision or problem.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of delay from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
