What does delaying mean?
Delaying is the present participle of the verb "delay," meaning to postpone something to a later time or to hold up a person, process, or object so that it happens or arrives later than planned. It appears constantly in both casual and formal English: travelers speak of delays at airports, committees delay votes, and weather delays construction work. The word can also function as a gerund — a verbal noun — as in "delaying the inevitable." Its tone is generally neutral, but in many professional settings delaying carries a subtle negative charge, suggesting hesitation, obstruction, or avoidance of a necessary decision. Related expressions such as "delaying tactics" describe deliberate stalling, while "without further delay" urges promptness. Derived ultimately from a Latin root meaning to spread apart or extend, the word has been part of English since the medieval period and remains indispensable for discussing time, patience, and procrastination.
Present participle of "delay": to postpone an action or event, or to make someone or something late.
"The airline apologized for delaying the departure by three hours."
Takes either a direct object ("delaying the meeting") or no object when used with an event as subject ("the flight is delaying").
As a gerund: the act or practice of postponing or holding something up.
"His constant delaying of the decision frustrated everyone on the team."
Often used with possessives or determiners, as in "her delaying of the verdict drew criticism."
Every flight you've ever waited on owes its delay to the same Latin root that gave us "dilate" — to spread wide apart in time.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of delaying
The word traces back through Middle English "delaien," borrowed from Old French "de-laier" or "deslaier," which derives from a Vulgar Latin form related to "dis-" (apart) and "laxare" or a variant of "dilatare" meaning to spread out or extend. This makes it a cousin of modern English "dilate" and "dilatory," which share the same Latin ancestry. The verb entered English around the thirteenth century and has retained its core sense of putting off or slowing ever since.
Related word forms
How delaying is actually used
Neutral in register and common in both everyday speech and formal writing. In contexts like law, medicine, or project management, delaying often carries a mildly negative connotation, implying obstruction or procrastination rather than prudent scheduling.
Easily confused with delaying
"Decaying" means rotting or deteriorating over time, while "delaying" means postponing or holding something up; the words look and sound somewhat similar but are unrelated in meaning.