pause

[ pawz ]

noun

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

   a short pause after each stroke of the oar.

   Synonyms: lacuna, hiatus, halt, break, interruption, suspension

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

   Synonyms: lacuna, hiatus, halt, break, interruption, suspension

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

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

   Synonyms: lacuna, hiatus, halt, break, interruption, suspension

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, paus·ing.

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: rest

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

   to pause upon a particular point.

   Synonyms: delay, tarry

pause

/ pɔːz /

verb

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

   she replied without pausing

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

Derived Forms

• ˈpausal, adjective
• ˈpauser, noun
• ˈpausing, nounadjective

Other Words From

• pausal adjective
• pauseful adjective
• pauseful·ly adverb
• pauseless adjective
• pauseless·ly adverb
• pauser noun
• pausing·ly adverb
• non·pause noun
• un·pausing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pause¹

First recorded in 1400–50; (for the noun) Middle English, from Latin pausa, from Greek paûsis “a halt,” from paú(ein) “to stop” + -sis -sis; verb derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pause¹

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

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 .

Example Sentences

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 and the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite closed at record highs last week, with most stocks edging upward this week following a pause on Tuesday.

From Salon

Many years later, in graduate school, when I first read “Sonny’s Blues,” a short story originally published in 1957 by James Baldwin about family and addiction, I would think back to this painting, in this house, and how its beauty halted me in my tracks, how it dared me to pause and consider my place in the wide world.

From Los Angeles Times

He pressed pause and then sang the song’s first verse to me, emphasizing how Clark bends the word “blind.”

From Los Angeles Times

I pause by going quiet and walking in nature.

From Salon

Before the general election, Labour said it would "pause and review" the plans to defund such courses.

From BBC

Related Words

• hesitate
• interrupt
• shake
• waver