Synonyms of delayed

delayed 1 of 3

adjective

as in belated

Related Words

• belated
• late
• posthumous
• postmortem

delayed

2 of 3

adverb

as in postponed

Related Words

• postponed
• deferred
• suspended

Dissimilar Words

• afoot
• under weigh
• under way

delayed

3 of 3

verb

past tense of delay

1

as in lingered

to move or act slowly

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lingered
• dragged
• crawled
• poked
• lagged
• stalled
• dawdled
• crept
• played
• strolled
• shuffled
• loitered
• dropped behind
• fell behind
• hung fire
• marked time
• tarried
• lollygagged
• diddled
• staggered
• moped
• dallied
• dillydallied
• idled
• took one's time
• shilly-shallied
• dragged one's feet
• lounged
• fooled around
• decelerated
• hung (around or out)
• trifled
• fiddled (around)
• procrastinated
• messed around
• slowed (down or up)
• pottered (around)
• puttered (around)
• eased
• sauntered
• temporized
• ambled
• loafed
• inched
• monkeyed (around)
• lumbered
• filibustered
• lolled
• plodded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hurried
• rushed
• hastened
• sped
• flew
• dashed
• ripped
• ran
• raced
• bolted
• scurried
• whisked
• whizzed
• whirled
• tore
• coursed
• rocketed
• scrambled
• zipped
• scooted
• barreled
• hustled
• accelerated
• scudded
• darted
• hurtled
• humped
• breezed
• stampeded
• bowled
• ran
• trotted
• careered
• hotfooted (it)
• quickened
• galloped
• jogged
• sprinted
• sped (up)
• outstripped
• outpaced
• overtook
• caught up
• outran
• fast-forwarded

2

as in deferred

to assign to a later time

our guests delayed their departure until after dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

• postponed
• deferred
• shelved
• suspended
• remitted
• put off
• laid over
• held over
• put over
• waited
• held off (on)
• slowed
• paused
• hesitated
• prolonged
• held up
• lengthened
• stayed
• retarded
• detained
• stretched (out)
• extended
• protracted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• did
• worked (on)
• decided (upon)
• acted
• dealt (with)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of delayed

Adjective

After Tuesday’s practice, Purdy detailed how a delayed throw to Luke Farrell got intercepted by linebacker Del-Shawn Phillips off near the goal line. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026

The Real Problem Is The Ripple A delayed flight is easy to detect. — Ishraq Khan, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

In that trial, rings of contacts of cases, as well as contacts of the contacts, were randomized to either get the vaccine immediately or on a delayed basis. — Helen Branswell, STAT, 12 Aug. 2026

Ahead of the commissioners’ discussion and delayed vote, there was a flood of opposition from residents, politicians and voting right groups. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2026

The impact is already being felt across various regions, from a delayed start to the Indian monsoon to a temporary halt to Peru’s fishing season. — Bloomberg, Fortune, 21 June 2026

That meant a delayed return to full activities. — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 9 June 2026

In a statement provided to KDKA-TV, Allegheny County said that a malfunction led to the delayed opening. — Jessica Riley, CBS News, 8 June 2026

The Metro-North Platform in Stamford The Stamford train platform is not exactly poetry — unless your idea of romance involves delayed commuters, laptop bags, and people silently negotiating personal space. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 27 May 2026

Verb

Magyar's predecessor, Viktor Orbán, was an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who repeatedly delayed or blocked European Union sanctions on Russia and pursued energy deals with Russia. — ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026

Jennings completed 26 of 36 passes for a career-best 430 yards and three touchdowns as SMU (1-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) outlasted the Seminoles in a game that was delayed nearly two hours due to a power outage at Doak Campbell Stadium. — Associated Pess, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026

Heathrow’s website showed that many short-haul flights departing for European destinations had been canceled or delayed. — Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Data Center Watch counted 75 local projects worth $130 billion blocked or delayed by citizen opposition in the first three months of 2026 alone, matching all of 2025 in a single quarter. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026

An initial search attempt was delayed by bad weather but was expected to resume once conditions improved, police said, citing the Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association. — Hanna Park, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026

Good enough on time beats perfect production delayed every time. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

The start of Tuesday's hearing was delayed by questions about what images prosecutors could show to the courtroom and/or the media. — Bill Chappell, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026

An oxidizer leak was found on the Dragon spacecraft's propulsion system during prelaunch processing that delayed the launch of the Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026