100 Best Synonyms for “Delay”

No.	Item	Definition
1.	abatement	temporary reduction or pause
2.	adjourn	suspend until later
3.	arrest	stop progress temporarily
4.	backlog	accumulated unfinished work
5.	backup	accumulation causing delay
6.	be late	arrive after expected time
7.	behind schedule	later than planned
8.	behind time	running late
9.	belatedness	state of being late
10.	block	prevent movement or progress
11.	bogged down	stuck and slowed
12.	carry over	postpone to next period
13.	check	stop or slow temporarily
14.	complication	issue causing slower progress
15.	congestion	overcrowding causing slowdown
16.	decelerate	slow down
17.	deceleration	slowing down
18.	defer	delay until a later time
19.	deferment	an act of postponing
20.	deferral	official postponement
21.	deferred	put off until later
22.	detain	keep from proceeding
23.	dilatoriness	tendency to be slow
24.	drag out	make take longer
25.	draw out	make continue longer
26.	encumbrance	burden that slows movement
27.	extend	make continue longer
28.	foot-dragging	deliberate slowness to act
29.	freeze	temporary stop of activity
30.	gridlock	complete congestion and stoppage
31.	halt	temporary stop
32.	hamper	interfere with progress
33.	hang fire	be delayed or undecided
34.	hesitation	pause from uncertainty
35.	hinder	make progress slower
36.	hindrance	thing that causes delay
37.	hitch	small delaying problem
38.	hold back	keep from moving ahead
39.	hold up	cause a delay
40.	holdup	a delay or obstruction
41.	impede	obstruct and slow down
42.	impediment	something that hinders progress
43.	interrupt	break continuity for a time
44.	jam	congestion causing delay
45.	lag	fall behind in time
46.	late arrival	arrival after expected time
47.	late running	operating behind schedule
48.	late start	beginning later than planned
49.	lateness	state of being late
50.	lengthen	make longer in duration
51.	letup	brief pause or easing
52.	logjam	serious blockage causing delay
53.	lull	temporary pause or slowdown
54.	mired	stuck and delayed
55.	moratorium	temporary suspension
56.	obstacle	thing blocking progress
57.	obstruct	block or slow progress
58.	on hold	temporarily delayed
59.	overrun	going past planned time
60.	pause	stop briefly before continuing
61.	pileup	build-up causing delay
62.	postpone	put off until later
63.	postponement	act of putting off
64.	postponing	putting off until later
65.	procrastination	habit of delaying action
66.	prolong	continue for more time
67.	protract	make last longer
68.	push back	move to a later time
69.	put off	move to a later time
70.	queue	line causing waiting
71.	rain check	postponement to another time
72.	recess	temporary suspension of activity
73.	red tape	bureaucracy causing delay
74.	reprieve	temporary postponement of something
75.	reschedule	set for another time
76.	retard	slow the progress of
77.	retardation	the act of slowing
78.	roadblock	barrier causing delay
79.	run late	be behind schedule
80.	set back	cause to be later
81.	setback	problem causing delay
82.	slacken	become or make slower
83.	slow	make less fast
84.	slowdown	a reduction in speed
85.	snag	unexpected delaying problem
86.	stall	cause to wait or stop
87.	standstill	a complete stop
88.	stay	hold back temporarily
89.	suspend	temporarily stop
90.	table	postpone consideration of
91.	take longer	need more time
92.	tie-up	traffic or work delay
93.	tied up	occupied and delayed
94.	time lag	gap causing lateness
95.	timeout	brief stoppage or pause
96.	traffic	congestion slowing movement
97.	wait	stay until later
98.	waiting period	required time before action
99.	way behind	far behind schedule
100.	waylaid	delayed on the way