“Delay” Meaning, Noun & Verb Usage in English

Delay – a situation in which something happens later than planned or expected. In travel, business, logistics, and everyday life, “delay” is one of the most common words used to describe interruptions, postponements, and waiting times. As a noun, it refers to the period of lateness itself. As a “verb”, it means to cause something to happen later than intended.

Part of speech:

Noun and Verb

Phonetic transcription (IPA):

/dɪˈleɪ/

CEFR level:

А2

Word frequency:

“Delay” Pronunciation Tips

Audio (UK):

00:00 / 00:00

Audio (US):

00:00 / 00:00

It is a two-syllable word where emphasis falls on the second syllable. In the first syllable, there is a brief and weak sound /dɪ/ and not a full dee sound. In the stressed syllable, there is a long diphthong /eɪ/ sound which is similar to that of “day,” “say,” and “pay.” A typical mistake by learners is stressing the first syllable: DEL-ay.

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Tenses & Conjugation of “Delay”

The verb “delay” is entirely regular and presents no spelling issues; there is no need to take out an “e,” to double consonants, or to change a “y” into an “i.” There is nothing complicated about its conjugation.

Basic Forms of the Verb “Delay”

Form	Structure	Example
Base Form	delay	Bad weather can delay flights.
Past Simple	delayed	Fog delayed several departures.
Past Participle	delayed	The train was delayed by an hour.
Gerund	delaying	Delaying repairs often makes problems worse.
Third Person Singular	delays	Heavy traffic delays commuters every morning.

Continuous and Perfect Forms

Tense	Structure	Example
Present Continuous	am/is/are delaying	Construction work is delaying traffic.
Past Continuous	was/were delaying	Technical issues were delaying check-in procedures.
Future Continuous	will be delaying	Roadworks will be delaying traffic throughout the weekend.
Present Perfect	have/has delayed	Storms have delayed hundreds of flights.
Past Perfect	had delayed	The accident had delayed traffic for hours before it was cleared.
Future Perfect	will have delayed	By noon, the disruption will have delayed several services.
Present Perfect Continuous	have/has been delaying	The repairs have been delaying operations all week.
Past Perfect Continuous	had been delaying	Staff shortages had been delaying deliveries for months.
Future Perfect Continuous	will have been delaying	The project will have been delaying construction schedules for nearly a year.

Noun Forms, Articles & Countability

As a noun, “delay” can be both countable and uncountable depending on context.

Form	Example
Singular	A delay of thirty minutes was announced shortly before departure.
Plural	Several delays affected flights throughout the day.
Uncountable	Heavy traffic caused considerable delay.
With “a”	There was a delay due to technical problems.
With “the”	The delay frustrated many passengers.

Transitive vs. Intransitive: How to Use “Delay”

The verb “delay” is an example of such a verb for which the proper use of the pattern is what distinguishes a good language user from a proficient one. This verb can be both transitive and intransitive.

Transitive: “Delay” + Noun Object

Something or someone delays something else. The delayed item is the direct object.

 The storm delayed the ferry crossing by three hours.
 A mechanical fault delayed the departure.
 Road closures delayed them significantly.

Transitive: “Delay” + Gerund (Verb + -ing)

When “delay” is followed by a verb, that verb must be in the gerund (-ing) form. This is a fixed pattern and non-negotiable in standard English.

 She delayed booking the hotel until the last possible moment.
 He delayed reporting the fault, which made the situation considerably worse.
 They delayed deciding until all the information was available.

Intransitive: “Delay” Without an Object

When “delay” means to act slowly or to hesitate, it takes no object. The focus is on the subject’s behaviour rather than on a specific thing being delayed.

 Don’t delay: seats are limited and prices will rise.
 He delayed, which cost him the booking.
 She never delays when a decision is needed.

Popular and Useful Collocations with “Delay”

The term “delay” is used all the time in travel, business, customer service, logistics, and regular conversation. This is just how it would be said in any situation involving a wait for a plane, a project, or even an answer to a customer. Memorizing them in full will help you sound far more like a native speaker.

Verb + “Delay” Collocations

Phrase	Explanation	Example
cause a delay	create a delay or make something late	Heavy snowfall caused a delay on several major routes.
experience a delay	be affected by a delay	Passengers may experience delays during peak travel periods.
face a delay	encounter a delay	Commuters faced significant delays after the accident.
suffer a delay	experience a delay with negative consequences	The construction project suffered a delay due to supply shortages.
announce a delay	officially inform people about a delay	Airport staff announced a delay shortly before boarding was due to begin.
avoid a delay	prevent a delay from happening	Leaving early is the best way to avoid delays in city traffic.
apologise for a delay	express regret about a delay	We apologise for the delay and appreciate your patience.
expect a delay	anticipate a delay	Drivers should expect delays because of roadworks.
reduce a delay	shorten the length of a delay	Additional staff helped reduce delays at passport control.

Adjective + “Delay” Collocations

Phrase	Explanation	Example
significant delay	major or noticeable delay	A significant delay affected services throughout the afternoon.
unexpected delay	delay that was not anticipated	An unexpected delay forced the team to revise the schedule.
lengthy delay	long delay	After a lengthy delay, passengers were finally allowed to board.
prolonged delay	unusually extended delay	The prolonged delay led some travellers to miss their connections.
slight delay	minor delay	There may be a slight delay due to increased demand.
unavoidable delay	delay that cannot reasonably be prevented	The airline apologised for the unavoidable delay caused by severe weather.
knock-on delay	secondary delay caused by an earlier problem	A signalling fault created knock-on delays across the network.

“Delay” + Preposition Patterns

Phrase	Example
delay of + time period	A delay of forty-five minutes is currently expected.
delay due to + cause	The delay was due to maintenance work on the track.
without delay	Please report any issues to customer services without delay.

“Delay” in Spanish, French, and German

The origin of the word “delay” can be traced back to Old French delayer, which may come from de- (away) + laier (leave; let). The word was adopted into English during the 13th century and has maintained its meaning up until now.