1. (n.) A putting off or deferring; procrastination; lingering inactivity; stop; detention; hindrance.

2. (n.) To put off; to defer; to procrastinate; to prolong the time of or before.

3. (n.) To retard; to stop, detain, or hinder, for a time; to retard the motion, or time of arrival, of; as, the mail is delayed by a heavy fall of snow.

4. (n.) To allay; to temper.

5. (v. i.) To move slowly; to stop for a time; to linger; to tarry.

abide adjourn afterthought arrest arrestation arrestment await backpedal backwater be a sideliner be still bide bide the issue bind block blockage blocking bog down bottle up brake bureaucratic delay check clip the wings clogging closing up closure coast confine constriction continue countercheck cramp curb dally dam up damp dampen dawdle dawdling decelerate deceleration defer deferment deferral delayage delayed reaction detain detainment detention dilly dillydally do nothing double take drag drag along drag out dragging draw rein drift drone ease off ease up ease-off ease-up extend falter fixation flag flagging foot-dragging gap goof off halt hampering hang about hang around hang back hang fire hang up hang-up hesitate hiatus hibernate hinder hindering hindrance hold back hold everything hold in check hold off hold on hold over hold up hold your horses hold-up holdback holdup idle impede impediment inhibit inhibition interference interim interlude intermeddle intermit interrupt interruption interval intervene jam keep keep back keep in check lacuna lag lag behind lagging lay aside lay away lay by lay over let let down let up letdown letup lie dormant linger logjam loiter loitering lollygag lose ground lose momentum lose speed lull make late mark time meddle minus acceleration mire moderate moratorium mull negativism not budge not stir nuisance value obstruct obstruction obstructionism occlusion oppose opposition paperasserie pause pigeonhole poke poke along postpone postponement procrastinate prolong prorogate prorogue protract push aside put aside put away put in mothballs put off put on ice recess red tape red-tapeism red-tapery reef rein in relax repress repression reprieve reserve resist resistance respite rest restrain restraint restriction retard retardance retardation retardment scotch set aside set back set by setback shelve shift off shilly-shally shilly-shallying sideline sit back sit it out sit tight sit up slack off slack up slack-up slacken slackening sleep on slow slow down slow up slow-up slowdown slowing slowing down slowness slowup snub squeeze stagnate stall stand over stave off stay stay of execution stay up stick around stop stoppage store stow stranglehold stretch out stricture suppress suppression suspend suspension table table the motion take a recess take in sail take time tarry tarrying temporize