Synonyms of delaying

delaying

verb

present participle of delay

1

as in lingering

to move or act slowly

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lingering
• dragging
• poking
• crawling
• stalling
• creeping
• lagging
• strolling
• playing
• dawdling
• loitering
• shuffling
• tarrying
• falling behind
• diddling
• dropping behind
• hanging fire
• marking time
• lollygagging
• moping
• dillydallying
• dallying
• idling
• lounging
• staggering
• shilly-shallying
• taking one's time
• dragging one's feet
• trifling
• fiddling (around)
• loafing
• hanging (around or out)
• inching
• fooling around
• puttering (around)
• decelerating
• sauntering
• pottering (around)
• easing
• messing around
• ambling
• procrastinating
• monkeying (around)
• temporizing
• slowing (down or up)
• lolling
• filibustering
• plodding
• lumbering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hastening
• hurrying
• rushing
• tearing
• speeding
• running
• flying
• ripping
• racing
• scurrying
• bolting
• dashing
• whirling
• barreling
• zipping
• whizzing
• coursing
• whisking
• scrambling
• scooting
• rocketing
• careering
• scudding
• darting
• hustling
• hurtling
• running
• accelerating
• stampeding
• humping
• breezing
• bowling
• galloping
• sprinting
• trotting
• jogging
• quickening
• hotfooting (it)
• speeding (up)
• overtaking
• outstripping
• outrunning
• outpacing
• catching up
• fast-forwarding

2

as in postponing

to assign to a later time

our guests delayed their departure until after dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

• postponing
• deferring
• waiting
• shelving
• holding over
• remitting
• suspending
• putting off
• hesitating
• slowing
• holding off (on)
• putting over
• pausing
• prolonging
• laying over
• retarding
• lengthening
• holding up
• staying
• detaining
• stretching (out)
• extending
• protracting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• doing
• working (on)
• acting
• dealing (with)
• deciding (upon)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of delaying

The cost-cutting measures ended up delaying production, raising costs regardless. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026

His family publicly accused the workers' compensation system of delaying and denying needed care. — Ginger Allen, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Where Tong’s coalition falls short is its assumption that delaying the November federal changes would inevitably return the country to an unregulated marketplace. — John R. Gordon, Hartford Courant, 19 Aug. 2026

Lasting solutions have been trapped in politics, thereby delaying and undercutting an adequate response. — Samhita M Ilango, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026

That means delaying, syncing, buffering, and filtering signals – something electronics handles easily but photonics struggles with. — New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2026

Reliable transportation can make the difference between making a follow-up appointment and delaying needed care. — Aimée K. Dailey, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

An Iranian military official said that Qatar has been delaying a probe into the fate of three pilots, whom Iran says have been held there for months, according to state media. — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026

In that unlikely scenario, the project with LINXS could be terminated and Los Angeles World Airports, which manages LAX, would have to find a new contractor, further delaying the train’s future. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026