delay

Meaning

1. A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.
2. An audio effects unit that introduces a controlled delay.
3. Synonym of promise (“object representing delayed result”)
4. An amount of time provided on each move before one's clock starts to tick; a less common time control than increment.

postpone

defer

be slow

be late

time lag

interfere with

time required

be in the way

be tardy

go backward

negative acceleration

carry-over

putoff

be different

lag in phase

shillyshally

file over

take one’s time

impeed

be behindhand

keep waiting

turn off

yield

extend for

fall behind with

regard to

take a look at

take precautions

turn aside

wait and see

ear-voice span

cause to be late or slow

falling behind

late arrival

keep in custody

backening

inhibition

be negligent

extend a limit

hold back affectedly

keep looking

prolong for

hindrande

time wasted

make longer

wait a little

go slowly

delay time

tradiness

lead-time

lag time

cunctation

Frequency

Hyphenated as

de‧lay

Pronounced as (IPA)

/dɪˈleɪ/

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 leave”). More at let (to hinder), late, leave.

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