Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

pause

[ pawz ]

noun

  1. a temporary stop or rest, especially in speech or action:

    a short pause after each stroke of the oar.

    Synonyms: , , , , ,

  2. a cessation of activity because of doubt or uncertainty; a momentary hesitation.

    Synonyms: , , , , ,

  3. any comparatively brief stop, delay, wait, etc.:

    I would like to make a pause in my talk and continue after lunch.

    Synonyms: , , , , ,

  4. a break or rest in speaking or reading to emphasize meaning, grammatical relation, metrical division, etc., or in writing or printing by the use of punctuation.
  5. Prosody. a break or suspension, as a caesura, in a line of verse.
  6. Music. a fermata.


verb (used without object)

paused, pausing.
  1. to make a brief stop or delay; wait; hesitate:

    He paused at the edge of the pool for a moment. I'll pause in my lecture so we can all get some coffee.

    Synonyms:

  2. to dwell or linger (usually followed by on or upon ):

    to pause upon a particular point.

    Synonyms: ,

pause

/ ɔː /

verb

  1. to cease an action temporarily; stop
  2. to hesitate; delay

    she replied without pausing

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a temporary stop or rest, esp in speech or action; short break
  2. prosody another word for caesura
  3. Also calledfermata music a continuation of a note or rest beyond its normal length Usual symbol
  4. give pause to
    to cause to hesitate
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈ貹ܲ, adjective
  • ˈ貹ܲ, noun
  • ˈ貹ܲԲ, nounadjective
Discover More

Other Word Forms

  • 貹ܲa adjective
  • 貹ܲfܱ adjective
  • 貹ܲfܱ·ly adverb
  • 貹ܲl adjective
  • 貹ܲl·ly adverb
  • 貹ܲİ noun
  • 貹ܲiԲ· adverb
  • ԴDz·貹ܲ noun
  • ܲ·貹ܲiԲ adjective
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of pause1

First recorded in 1400–50; (for the noun) Middle English, from Latin pausa, from Greek 貹û “a halt,” from 貹ú(𾱲) “to stop” + -sis -sis; verb derivative of the noun
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of pause1

C15: from Latin pausa pause, from Greek pausis, from pauein to halt
Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. give pause, to cause to hesitate or be unsure, as from surprise or doubt:

    These frightening statistics give us pause.

More idioms and phrases containing pause

see give pause .
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

This came as Trump decided to pause elevated rates on almost all countries for 90 days.

From

Now the firm has entirely paused orders on its website and apps, including for food deliveries and clothes.

From

The January wildfires that knocked the city back on its heels put many business decisions on pause.

From

A 90-day pause on higher tariffs affecting dozens of countries is set to expire on 8 July.

From

Trump has enacted 10% levies on almost all countries importing to the US, after announcing a 90-day pause on higher tariffs.

From

Advertisement

Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


Pausaniaspav