delay
B1Neutral; common across all registers from formal to informal.
Definition
Meaning
To make something happen later than planned or expected; to cause a period of waiting.
A period of time when something is made to wait or is postponed; in technology, a measurable lag in transmission or processing.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a verb, it can be transitive (delay the flight) or intransitive (we can't delay). As a noun, it often refers to the period or instance of waiting (a long delay). The meaning implies an unplanned or inconvenient pause.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. Minor differences in collocational frequency, e.g., 'flight delay' slightly more common in AmE, 'train delay' more frequent in BrE.
Connotations
Consistently negative, implying inconvenience, inefficiency, or disruption.
Frequency
High frequency in both varieties; no significant difference.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
delay + NP (transitive)delay + -ing formdelay (intransitive)There is/was a delay in + -ingexperience/face/cause a delayVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Delay tactics”
- “Without delay (immediately)”
- “A delay in the making”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used for project timelines, payments, and shipments. E.g., 'We must avoid any further delays to the product launch.'
Academic
Used in discussions of processes, experiments, or historical causation. E.g., 'The discovery was delayed by a lack of funding.'
Everyday
Common for travel, appointments, and plans. E.g., 'Sorry I'm late, there was a delay on the motorway.'
Technical
In computing/engineering: signal delay, propagation delay, network latency.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The train breakdown delayed hundreds of commuters.
- They decided to delay the decision until next quarter.
- I won't delay any longer, let's begin.
American English
- The software update delayed the system for an hour.
- Let's delay the meeting until everyone is available.
- We cannot delay on this issue any further.
adverb
British English
- Used rarely, typically in compounds like 'delay-compensated' or informally as 'delayed-ly'.
American English
- Similar to BrE; not a standard standalone adverb. Use 'belatedly' or 'after a delay' instead.
adjective
British English
- The delay mechanism needs adjustment.
- We received a delay notification via email.
- There is a delay period of 14 days for processing.
American English
- The delay line in the circuit is crucial.
- Please check the delay box on the form.
- The delay penalty was applied to the late payment.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The bus is late. There is a delay.
- Sorry for the delay. My car broke down.
- We will delay the game until the rain stops.
- Bad weather caused a long delay at the airport.
- The company delayed the release of the new phone.
- Please start without me if I am delayed.
- The legal challenge resulted in a considerable delay to the construction project.
- She delayed making a career move until after her studies were complete.
- Despite initial delays, the team delivered the report on time.
- The protracted negotiations have delayed the ratification of the treaty indefinitely.
- Any further delay in implementing the reforms would be economically disastrous.
- The signal undergoes a measurable delay as it passes through the fibre optic cable.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a delayed flight: you have to DE-LAY down and wait.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS SPACE (a delay is an obstacle on a path, creating distance before an event).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'откладывать' in the sense of 'to save money' (that's 'to save' or 'to put aside').
- Avoid using 'задерживать' for inanimate objects in all contexts; 'delay' is more natural.
- The noun 'delay' is countable (a delay, delays), unlike the uncountable Russian 'задержка' in some uses.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'He delayed to answer the phone.' Correct: 'He delayed answering the phone.' (verb + -ing)
- Incorrect: 'We had a delay of two hours.' Correct: 'We had a two-hour delay.' (more natural adjective-noun order)
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'delay' INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Delay' means to make something happen later than planned, often unexpectedly. 'Postpone' is more formal and implies a deliberate rescheduling to a specific later time. 'Cancel' means to call off entirely.
Primarily countable (a delay, several delays). It can be uncountable in a general sense (e.g., 'after much delay'), but this is less common.
Commonly 'in' (a delay in the proceedings) or 'to' (a delay to the project). 'Of' is used to specify the length (a delay of two hours).
No. The verb 'delay' is followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing form). Correct: 'delay doing something' or 'delay something'.
Collections
Part of a collection
Travel Vocabulary
A2 · 50 words · Words for getting around, booking trips and visiting new places.