the situation in which you have to wait longer than expected for something to happen, or the time that you have to wait
There has been a delay in the book's publication.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
noun (plural delays)
a time when somebody or something is late:
There was a long delay at the airport.
You must pay the money without delay (= immediately).
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
delay
I. de‧lay1 W3 /dɪˈleɪ/ BrE AmE noun
1. [countable] when someone or something has to wait, or the length of the waiting time:
Sorry for the delay, Mr Weaver.
delay in
Why was there a delay in warning the public?
delay of
a delay of about an hour
long/considerable/slight etc delay
Long delays are expected on the motorways.
2. [uncountable] when something does not happen or start when it should do
without delay
They must restore normal services without delay.
There can be no excuse for any further delay.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + delay
▪ a slight/short delay There was a slight delay in the departure of the plane.
▪ a long/lengthy delay Patients often face long delays in getting the treatment they need.
▪ a considerable/serious delay (=very long) After a considerable delay, the report was finally published.
▪ a 20-minute/6-month/4-week etc delay A train had broken down, causing a two-hour delay.
▪ traffic delays The roadworks are likely to cause serious traffic delays.
▪ flight delays Unfortunately flight delays do sometimes occur.
■ verbs
▪ cause/lead to a delay The bad weather caused a three-hour delay in sending out rescue helicopters.
▪ experience delays People are experiencing considerable delays in receiving their mail.
▪ face delays (=be likely to experience them) Commuters face long delays as a result of the rail strikes.
▪ reduce delays (=make them shorter and less frequent) The new rules should reduce delays in bringing prisoners to trial.
■ phrases
▪ a series of delays (=a number of delays) After a series of delays and setbacks, the project was finally approved.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
delay
delay [delay delays delayed delaying] noun, verb [dɪˈleɪ] [dɪˈleɪ]
noun
1. countable a period of time when sb/sth has to wait because of a problem that makes sth slow or late
• Commuters will face long delays on the roads today.
• We apologize for the delay in answering your letter.
• a delay of two hours/a two-hour delay
• Increased congestion and traffic delays are expected.
2. countable, uncountable a situation in which sth does not happen when it should; the act of delaying
• There's no time for delay.
• Report it to the police without delay (= immediately).
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French delayer (verb).
Collocations:
Travel and tourism
Holidays/vacations
have/take (BrE) a holiday/(NAmE) a vacation/a break/a day off/(BrE) a gap year
go on/be on holiday/vacation/leave/honeymoon/safari/a trip/a tour/a cruise/a pilgrimage
go backpacking/camping/hitchhiking/sightseeing
plan a trip/a holiday/a vacation/your itinerary
book accommodation/a hotel room/a flight/tickets
have/make/cancel a reservation/(especially BrE) booking
rent a villa/(both BrE) a holiday home/a holiday cottage
(especially BrE) hire/ (especially NAmE) rent a car/bicycle/moped
stay in a hotel/a bed and breakfast/a youth hostel/a villa/(both BrE) a holiday home/a caravan
cost/charge $100 a/per night for a single/double/twin/standard/(BrE) en suite room
check into/out of a hotel/a motel/your room
pack/unpack your suitcase/bags
call/order room service
cancel/cut short a trip/holiday/vacation
Foreign travel
apply for/get/renew a/your passport
take out/buy/get travel insurance
catch/miss your plane/train/ferry/connecting flight
fly (in)/travel in business/economy class
make/have a brief/two-day/twelve-hour stopover/(NAmE also) layover in Hong Kong
experience/cause/lead to delays
check (in)/collect/get/lose (your) (especially BrE) luggage/(especially NAmE) baggage
be charged for/pay excess baggage
board/get on/leave/get off the aircraft/plane/ship/ferry
taxi down/leave/approach/hit/overshoot the runway
experience/hit/encounter severe turbulence
suffer from/recover from/get over your jet lag/travel sickness
The tourist industry
attract/draw/bring tourists/visitors
encourage/promote/hurt tourism
promote/develop ecotourism
build/develop/visit a tourist/holiday/(especially BrE) seaside/beach/ski resort
work for/be operated by a major hotel chain
be served by/compete with low-cost/(especially NAmE) low-fare/budget airlines
book sth through/make a booking through/use a travel agent
contact/check with your travel agent/tour operator
book/be on/go on a package deal/holiday/tour
buy/bring back (tacky/overpriced) souvenirs
Example Bank:
• After a series of lengthy delays, the case finally came to court.
• Flights to New York may be subject to delay.
• I apologize for the delay in replying to you.
• Passengers complain about lack of information when travel delays occur.
• Passengers have experienced long delays.
• Please address your letters properly so as to reduce delays.
• Please send him the information without delay.
• The building project has been plagued by bureaucratic delays.
• The strike has led to some delays in train services.
• There is a five-minute time delay on the bank's safe.
• Travellers complained about lack of information when travel delays occurred.
• Undue delays have been caused by people not doing their jobs properly.
• a delay of several weeks
• delays in getting to the airport
• further delays to the plan
• Report it to the police without delay.
• There's no time for delay.
• a delay of two hours/a two-hour delay
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
delay / dɪˈleɪ / noun [ C or U ]
A2 the situation in which you have to wait longer than expected for something to happen, or the time that you have to wait:
This situation needs to be tackled without delay.
Long delays are predicted on the motorway because of the accident.
There has been a delay in the book's publication.
Word partners for delay noun
a brief / short / slight delay • a considerable / lengthy / long / serious delay • cause delays • experience / face / suffer delays • delays due to sth • a delay in sth/doing sth • a delay of [two hours, five days, etc.] • without delay
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
delay
[dɪle͟ɪ]
♦♦
delays, delaying, delayed
1) VERB If you delay doing something, you do not do it immediately or at the planned or expected time, but you leave it until later.
[V n/-ing] For sentimental reasons I wanted to delay my departure until June 1980...
[V n/-ing] They had delayed having children, for the usual reason, to establish their careers...
So don't delay, write in now for your chance of a free gift.
Syn:
postpone
Ant:
bring forward
2) VERB To delay someone or something means to make them late or to slow them down.
[V n] Can you delay him in some way?...
[V n] Various set-backs and problems delayed production...
[V n] The passengers were delayed for an hour.
Syn:
hold up
3) VERB If you delay, you deliberately take longer than necessary to do something.
If he delayed any longer, the sun would be up.
Syn:
hang on
4) N-VAR If there is a delay, something does not happen until later than planned or expected.
They claimed that such a delay wouldn't hurt anyone...
Although the tests have caused some delay, flights should be back to normal this morning.
Syn:
hold-up
5) N-UNCOUNT Delay is a failure to do something immediately or in the required or usual time.
There is no time left for delay...
We'll send you a quote without delay.
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
1de·lay /dɪˈleɪ/ noun, pl -lays
1 : a situation in which something happens later than it should
[count]
• Do you know what's causing the delay?
• The nurse apologized for the delay [=wait] and said that the doctor would be in shortly.
• a number of flight delays
[noncount]
• After months of delay, construction on the new school began.
• The roof must be repaired without delay. [=immediately]
2 [count] : the amount of time that you must wait for something that is late
• Airline travelers are experiencing delays of up to three hours.