Synonyms of delays

delays 1 of 2

noun

plural of delay

as in waits

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

• waits
• holdups
• postponements
• pauses
• setbacks
• detentions
• deferrals
• hesitations
• lags
• holding patterns
• holdbacks
• deferments
• slowdowns
• respites
• detainments
• reprieves
• foot-draggings

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rushes
• dispatches
• hastes
• promptitudes

delays

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of delay

1

as in lingers

to move or act slowly

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lingers
• crawls
• drags
• pokes
• lags
• dawdles
• strolls
• marks time
• creeps
• falls behind
• hangs fire
• drops behind
• plays
• shuffles
• loiters
• stalls
• tarries
• lollygags
• mopes
• diddles
• lallygags
• dillydallies
• drags one's heels
• dallies
• lounges
• staggers
• takes one's time
• shilly-shallies
• drags one's feet
• idles
• fools around
• fiddles (around)
• inches
• messes around
• hangs (around or out)
• potters (around)
• slows (down or up)
• trifles
• putters (around)
• eases
• loafs
• monkeys (around)
• decelerates
• procrastinates
• ambles
• saunters
• temporizes
• plods
• lolls
• lumbers
• filibusters

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• tears
• speeds
• courses
• races
• barrels
• hastens
• careers
• hurries
• rushes
• runs
• flies
• rips
• whizzes
• dashes
• whirls
• zips
• hurtles
• rockets
• scurries
• bolts
• whisks
• scrambles
• scoots
• humps
• stampedes
• hustles
• breezes
• darts
• scuds
• bowls
• runs
• accelerates
• sprints
• jogs
• speeds (up)
• hotfoots (it)
• gallops
• trots
• quickens
• overtakes
• outstrips
• outpaces
• outruns
• catches up
• fast-forwards

2

as in postpones

to assign to a later time

our guests delayed their departure until after dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

• postpones
• defers
• waits
• shelves
• holds over
• remits
• pauses
• lays over
• slows
• holds off (on)
• suspends
• hesitates
• puts over
• retards
• puts off
• holds up
• prolongs
• lengthens
• stays
• stretches (out)
• detains
• protracts
• extends

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• does
• acts
• works (on)
• deals (with)
• decides (upon)