# delayed

/dɪˈɫeɪd/ (US) · /dɪlˈeɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/delayed
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. happening late

adjective · CEFR A2

happening later than the planned or expected time.

For teachers: occurring after the scheduled or expected time, often due to an external impediment.

- The delayed flight finally took off three hours after the scheduled time.
- The delayed response from the insurance company caused significant frustration for the homeowners who were waiting to begin repairs.

## Examples

- The heavy rain delayed the start of the match.
- The airline delayed our flight by three hours due to a technical problem with the engine.
- The committee decided to delay the final vote until all members had a chance to review the updated environmental impact report.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.