1. to make something happen later than planned or expected
使某事比原計劃或預期更晚發生
Heavy snow delayed the flight by three hours.
大雪導致航班延誤了三小時。
We decided to delay the meeting until next week.
我們決定將會議推遲到下週。
Delay Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
delay
verb
快速理解
What does "Delay" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Delay"?
指使某事件或行動比預期更晚發生。
- 1
使延後
EN: to cause something to happen at a later time than planned
翻譯: 使某事比原定計畫更晚發生。
- 2
耽擱
EN: to make someone or something late or slow
翻譯: 使某人或某事遲到或變慢。
- 3
推遲行動
EN: to intentionally wait before doing something
翻譯: 故意等待，暫不採取行動。
小提醒：「delay」可作及物或不及物動詞。作不及物動詞時，主詞常是事件本身，如「The flight was delayed」。
發音（How to Pronounce "Delay" in English）
How to pronounce "Delay" in English?"Delay" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Delay" from YouTube Videos
Michael Seibel - How to Plan an MVP
Y Combinator
“Once you have any, once. if you don't have anything out in the world, it's very easy to just delay, delay, delay, delay.”
(1 out of 16)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Delay"?How does "Delay" change by context?
2. to intentionally wait before doing something
故意等待一段時間後再做某事
She delayed making a decision until she had more information.
她推遲做決定，直到獲得更多資訊。
Don't delay in calling the doctor if the symptoms persist.
如果症狀持續，請不要拖延，立即打電話給醫生。
3. to cause someone to be late
導致某人遲到
An accident on the highway delayed us for an hour.
高速公路上的事故讓我們耽擱了一小時。
I was delayed by unexpected traffic.
我被意外的交通狀況耽擱了。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Delay"?How to make natural sentences with "Delay"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| delay + noun | 延遲（某事物） | The airline delayed the flight due to bad weather. (航空公司因惡劣天氣延遲了航班。) |
| delay + V-ing | 延遲（做某事） | We delayed making a decision until we had more information. (我們延遲做決定，直到獲得更多資訊。) |
| be delayed | 被延遲 | The project was delayed by several months. (該專案被延遲了數月。) |
| delay + for + time period | 延遲（一段時間） | The meeting was delayed for an hour. (會議被延遲了一小時。) |
| delay + until/till + time | 延遲到（某個時間） | They delayed the launch until next week. (他們將發布延遲到下周。) |
用法說明
How is "Delay" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Delay"?
delay doing vs delay to do
- 動詞 delay 後面通常接 動名詞 (V-ing)，表示「延遲做某事」這個動作本身。
- 在標準英語中，delay 後面直接接 不定詞 (to + V) 的用法是錯誤的。
- 若要表達「為了做某事而延遲」，通常會用其他結構，例如 delay (something) in order to... 或 put off (something) to...。
對比例句： EN: They delayed announcing the results until next week. 翻譯: 他們將宣布結果的時間推遲到了下週。
EN:✗ They delayed to announce the results until next week.
翻譯:（錯誤用法）
EN:We should not delay submitting the application.
翻譯:我們不應該延遲提交申請。
EN:✗ We should not delay to submit the application.
翻譯:（錯誤用法）
總結建議
正確的用法是 delay + V-ing，應避免使用 delay + to V 的結構。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Delay" and similar words?How to choose "Delay" vs alternatives?
delay vs postpone
「delay」通常指因意外或障礙而延誤，時間長度不確定；「postpone」則指主動、有計劃地將事件改期至未來某個明確時間。
delay vs defer
「delay」強調非自願的延後，常帶負面意涵；「defer」則較正式，指自願或策略性地延後，常見於官方或金融情境。
delay vs procrastinate
「delay」可指客觀事件或行動的延後；「procrastinate」專指人因缺乏動力或決心而「拖延」該做的事，帶有主觀批評意味。
口語用法
How is "Delay" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Delay"?
引述
在轉述他人要求或解釋情況時，常用來緩和語氣，表示並非自己的本意。 EN: Sorry for the delay, my boss asked me to double-check everything. 翻譯: 抱歉耽擱了，我老闆要求我全部再檢查一次。
EN:There might be a slight delay in shipping, the supplier just informed us.
翻譯:出貨可能會稍微延遲，供應商剛剛通知我們。
語氣強調
與副詞連用，強調延遲的程度或表達無奈、歉意，使語氣更生動。 EN: The project got delayed yet again. I'm so frustrated. 翻譯: 專案又（被）延遲了。我真的很沮喪。
EN:Don't delay any longer, just make a decision!
翻譯:別再拖延了，快做決定吧！
停頓填充
在組織思緒或尋找合適詞語時，作為自然的停頓點，常用於『延遲』的相關片語中。 EN: So, after a long delay... we finally got the approval. 翻譯: 所以，在漫長的延遲之後…我們終於拿到核准了。
EN:The reason for the delay is... well, it's complicated.
翻譯:延遲的原因是…嗯，這有點複雜。
正式書寫注意：在正式報告或學術寫作中，應避免使用過於口語化的強調詞（如 "yet again", "any longer"）或停頓填充（如 "well"）。建議使用更精確、中性的表述，例如 "experienced a further postponement", "should proceed without further adjournment"。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Delay"?What fixed phrases with "Delay" should I remember?
delay
without delay
立即，毫不拖延
delay something
delay + object
推遲某事
delay doing something
delay + gerund
拖延做某事
flight delay
noun + delay
航班延誤
delay tactics
delay + noun
拖延戰術
delay indefinitely
delay + adverb
無限期延後
delay a response
delay + a + noun
延遲回應
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Delay"?Which "Delay" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×The flight was delayed for two hours.
✓The flight was delayed by two hours.
When stating the length of a delay, use 'by' to introduce the duration. 'For' is used to indicate the purpose or intended duration, not the amount of delay.
×We decided to delay to start the meeting.
✓We decided to delay starting the meeting.
The verb 'delay' is followed by a gerund (verb+ing) or a noun, not an infinitive ('to' + verb).
×Please don't delay to reply to the email.
✓Please don't delay replying to the email.
After 'delay' (especially in negative imperatives), use a gerund, not an infinitive. This is a common pattern error.
×There was a delay of the bus.
✓There was a delay to the bus.
When using the noun 'delay' to mean something is late, use 'to' + the thing that is delayed (e.g., bus, flight, project). 'Of' is used for the duration (e.g., a delay of two hours).
×I delayed him to leave.
✓I delayed his leaving. / I delayed him.
When 'delay' has a personal object and an action, the action should be expressed as a possessive gerund ('his leaving') or simply state the person delayed. The structure 'delay [person] to [verb]' is incorrect.
×The meeting was delayed because the heavy rain.
✓The meeting was delayed because of the heavy rain.
'Because' is a conjunction and must be followed by a full clause (subject + verb). 'Because of' is a prepositional phrase followed by a noun or noun phrase. To state a reason with a noun, use 'because of', 'due to', or 'owing to'.
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Delay"?What are tense/participle forms of "Delay"?
delays(3rd_singular)delaying(present_participle)delayed(past)delayed(past_participle)