delay

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 [C] 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 [C,U] 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). verb 1 to not do sth until a later time or to make sth happen at a later time: [VN] The judge will delay his verdict until he receives medical reports on the offender. * She's suffering a delayed reaction (= a reaction that did not happen immediately) to the shock. * [V-ing] He delayed telling her the news, waiting for the right moment. * [V] Don't delay-call us today! * We can't delay much longer. 2 [VN] to make sb late or force them to do sth more slowly: Thousands of commuters were delayed for over an hour. * The government is accused of using delaying tactics (= deliberately doing sth to delay a process, decision, etc.). * What could have delayed him?