DELAYS Synonyms: 140 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Relevance

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

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

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)

Cite this Entry

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“Delays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delays. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

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