Synonyms of delay

delay 1 of 2

noun

di-ˈlā 

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

• wait
• holdup
• postponement
• detention
• deferral
• pause
• setback
• lag
• deferment
• hesitation
• slowdown
• detainment
• holding pattern
• holdback
• respite
• foot-dragging
• reprieve

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rush
• haste
• dispatch
• promptness
• promptitude

delay

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to linger

to move or act slowly

she ordered the kids to stop delaying and to get to bed

Synonyms & Similar Words

• linger
• drag
• crawl
• poke
• lag
• creep
• dawdle
• mark time
• fall behind
• stroll
• play
• loiter
• hang fire
• drop behind
• shuffle
• lallygag
• stall
• tarry
• diddle
• mope
• lollygag
• dillydally
• stagger
• lounge
• drag one's heels
• idle
• take one's time
• shilly-shally
• drag one's feet
• fool around
• hang (around or out)
• trifle
• fiddle (around)
• dally
• mess around
• potter (around)
• slow (down or up)
• putter (around)
• decelerate
• ease
• temporize
• loaf
• amble
• saunter
• monkey (around)
• procrastinate
• inch
• loll
• filibuster
• plod
• lumber

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hurry
• rush
• course
• hasten
• speed
• race
• career
• tear
• fly
• run
• rocket
• rip
• dash
• scurry
• bolt
• breeze
• whirl
• whisk
• scoot
• barrel
• scramble
• zip
• hustle
• stampede
• hump
• accelerate
• hurtle
• dart
• run
• whiz
• sprint
• gallop
• jog
• speed (up)
• whizz
• quicken
• hotfoot (it)
• scud
• trot
• overtake
• catch up
• bowl
• outrun
• outstrip
• outpace
• fast-forward

2

as in to postpone

to assign to a later time

our guests delayed their departure until after dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

• postpone
• defer
• wait
• put over
• put off
• remit
• hesitate
• lay over
• shelve
• hold over
• hold off (on)
• suspend
• slow
• pause
• hold up
• retard
• prolong
• lengthen
• stay
• stretch (out)
• detain
• extend
• protract

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• do
• act
• work (on)
• deal (with)
• decide (upon)

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

Recent Examples of delay

Noun

She's had months to do ANYTHING real and all she's done is delay and cover for elite p*dos. —Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025

Federal funding for Penn Station won’t last forever, and construction costs only increase with delays. —Carlo Scissura, New York Daily News, 11 July 2025

Verb

Unable to stop the march toward passage, the Democrats as the minority party in Congress are using the tools at their disposal to delay and drag out the process. —Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025

Unable to stop the march toward passage of the 940-page bill, the Democrats as the minority party in Congress is using the tools at its disposal to delay and drag out the process. —Glen Luke Flanagan, Fortune, 30 June 2025