# pause

/ˈpɔz/ (US) · /pˈɔːz/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. to stop briefly

verb · CEFR A2

to stop what you are doing for a short time before starting again.

For teachers: to cease an action or motion temporarily before resuming.

- She paused for a moment to catch her breath before continuing the climb.
- The speaker paused significantly after the announcement, allowing the gravity of the news to settle over the assembled audience.

### 2. to stop media

verb · CEFR A2

to stop a video or music for a moment so you can play it again from the same spot.

For teachers: to temporarily halt the playback of digital or analog media.

- Can you pause the movie while I go get some water?
- The software is designed to pause the download automatically if the internet connection becomes unstable.

### 3. a short break

noun · CEFR B1

a short period of time when nothing happens or no one speaks.

For teachers: a temporary interval of silence or inactivity.

- There was a long pause on the phone before he finally answered.
- A sudden pause in the conversation made everyone in the room feel slightly uncomfortable.

### 4. a button

noun · CEFR B1

the button on a remote or screen that stops a video or song.

For teachers: a control or icon used to interrupt and later resume a process or media stream.

- Hit pause so we don't miss any of the show.
- The user interface features a prominent pause icon that toggles to a play symbol when activated.

### 5. musical symbol

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a mark in music that tells the player to hold a note for longer than usual.

For teachers: a sign indicating the prolongation of a note or rest beyond its nominal value.

- The conductor held the pause until the last echo died away in the hall.
- The composer placed a pause over the final chord to create a sense of unresolved tension before the movement concluded.

### 6. no innuendo intended

interjection · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

you say this after a sentence that might sound like a joke about sex to show you didn't mean it that way.

For teachers: used as a pragmatic marker to disclaim any unintended sexual innuendo in a preceding statement.

- That banana is huge, pause.
- After realizing his comment about the athlete's physique could be misinterpreted, he quickly added 'pause' to the end of his sentence.

Usage: Used as a standalone interjection immediately following the ambiguous phrase.

Teaching tip: This is common in modern internet culture and urban slang; it is often used humorously but can be seen as immature in professional settings.

## Examples

- There was a long pause before she answered the phone.
- The speaker made a dramatic pause to let the audience think about his last point.
- The conductor signaled a brief pause between the first and second movements, allowing the tension of the opening theme to dissipate before the melody resumed.

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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.