DELAY Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'delay' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of delay are dally , dawdle , lag , loiter , and procrastinate . While all these words mean "to move or act slowly so as to fall behind," delay usually implies a putting off of something (such as a beginning or departure). // we cannot delay any longer

Q: Where would 'dally' be a reasonable alternative to 'delay'?

The words dally and delay can be used in similar contexts, but dally suggests delay through trifling or vacillation when promptness is necessary. // stop dallying and get to work

Q: When can 'lag' be used instead of 'delay'?

In some situations, the words lag and delay are roughly equivalent. However, lag implies failure to maintain a speed set by others. // lagging behind in technology

Q: How do 'loiter' and 'dawdle' relate to one another, in the sense of 'delay'?

Both loiter and dawdle imply delay while in progress, especially in walking, but dawdle more clearly suggests an aimless wasting of time. // loitered at several store windows // children dawdling on their way home from school

Q: When is 'procrastinate' a more appropriate choice than 'delay'?

The synonyms procrastinate and delay are sometimes interchangeable, but procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy. // procrastinates about making decisions

delay 1 of 2

noun

di-ˈlā

Definition of delay next

as in wait

an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business there was a delay for our boarding while the airplane unloaded incoming passengers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

delay

2 of 2

verb

as in to linger

to move or act slowly she ordered the kids to stop delaying and to get to bed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to postpone

to assign to a later time our guests delayed their departure until after dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word delay different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of delay are dally, dawdle, lag, loiter, and procrastinate. While all these words mean "to move or act slowly so as to fall behind," delay usually implies a putting off of something (such as a beginning or departure).

we cannot delay any longer

Where would dally be a reasonable alternative to delay?

The words dally and delay can be used in similar contexts, but dally suggests delay through trifling or vacillation when promptness is necessary.

stop dallying and get to work

When can lag be used instead of delay?

In some situations, the words lag and delay are roughly equivalent. However, lag implies failure to maintain a speed set by others.

lagging behind in technology

How do loiter and dawdle relate to one another, in the sense of delay?

Both loiter and dawdle imply delay while in progress, especially in walking, but dawdle more clearly suggests an aimless wasting of time.

loitered at several store windows

children dawdling on their way home from school

When is procrastinate a more appropriate choice than delay?

The synonyms procrastinate and delay are sometimes interchangeable, but procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy.

procrastinates about making decisions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of delay

Noun

After a dramatic delay, when his first breadfruit voyage was ended by the famous mutiny in 1789 on his ship HMS Bounty, Captain William Bligh (1754–1817) successfully transported viable saplings to their botanical gardens in St. Vincent and other Caribbean locations in the early 1790s. —

Elaine Savory, JSTOR Daily, 24 Jan. 2025 Now, county officials are calling for an independent investigation into the delay of the evacuation alert — which comes on the heels of other issues with the emergency alert system, including erroneously calling for the evacuation of other parts of the county on Thursday, Jan. 9. —

Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 24 Jan. 2025

Verb

The president helped prevent the app from being shut down in the U.S. with a temporary reprieve that delayed the enforcement of a ban on the app by 75 days. —

Anniek Bao,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 24 Jan. 2025 In the short-term, the cancellation of these meetings means that some researchers who expect to receive funds in January will see those funds delayed, while others who had expected grant proposals slated to be reviewed would be subject to the challenges of rescheduling once the pause is lifted. —

Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for delay

Recent Examples of Synonyms for delay

Noun

Niccol joined Starbucks in September to rescue the chain after boycotts, price increases and lengthy wait times prompted a rare decline in visits.

— Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2025
All Social Security recipients, including those not affected by the new law, will face delays and increased wait times as SSA contends with the new workload, according to the agency.

— Kate Gibson, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2025