# pausing

/ˈpɔzɪŋ/ (US) · /pˈɔːzɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pausing
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 2. the act of a short break

noun · CEFR B2

the act of taking a short break or stopping for a moment.

For teachers: the gerund form used as a noun to describe the process or instance of stopping temporarily.

- His constant pausing during the speech made him seem very nervous.
- The frequent pausing in the audio recording suggested that the witness was choosing her words with extreme caution.

## Examples

- She is pausing to catch her breath.
- The speaker kept pausing between sentences to let the audience process the complex information.
- By pausing briefly before delivering the final line of the play, the actor ensured that the emotional weight of the scene resonated fully with the silent audience.

---

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.