Delay

Pronunciation: /dɪˈleɪ/

Definitions of delay

noun a period of time by which something is late or postponed

Example Sentences

A1 I am sorry for the delay in responding to your email.

A2 The train was late due to a delay on the tracks.

B1 The delay in the project was caused by unforeseen circumstances.

B2 There was a significant delay in the delivery of the goods.

C1 The delay in implementing the new system was frustrating for the team.

C2 The airline apologized for the delay and offered compensation to affected passengers.

verb to cause or be caused to be late or postponed

Example Sentences

A1 I delayed my trip to the store because it started raining.

A2 She delayed telling her parents about her grades because she was scared.

B1 The construction work was delayed due to bad weather conditions.

B2 The company decided to delay the product launch until after the holiday season.

C1 The government's decision to delay the implementation of the new policy caused controversy.

C2 The airline apologized for the delayed flight and offered compensation to affected passengers.

Examples of delay in a Sentence

formal The project experienced a significant delay due to unforeseen circumstances.

informal I'm sorry for the delay in responding to your email.

slang The delay in getting our food was so annoying, we were starving!

figurative Don't let fear be the delay in pursuing your dreams.

Grammatical Forms of delay

• past tense: delayed
• plural: delays
• comparative: more delayed
• superlative: most delayed
• present tense: delays
• future tense: will delay
• perfect tense: has delayed
• continuous tense: is delaying
• singular: delay
• positive degree: delay
• infinitive: to delay
• gerund: delaying
• participle: delayed

Origin and Evolution of delay

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'delay' originated from the Old French word 'delai', which came from the Latin word 'de-' (from) and 'latare' (to carry).

Evolution of the word: Initially, 'delay' was used to refer to a putting off of something until a later time. Over time, the word has evolved to also encompass the idea of a period of time by which something is late or postponed.