major hold-up
- noun
:
gran retraso
- We apologize for the major hold-up in processing your application.
Examples
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There was a major hold-up on the highway due to construction.
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There was a major hold-up at the airport due to weather conditions.
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The construction work caused a major hold-up during the morning commute.
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The project faced a major hold-up because of unexpected delays.
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The major hold-up in the project was the failure to obtain the necessary permits.
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Traffic congestion caused a major hold-up during the morning commute.
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A major hold-up in construction occurred due to unexpected weather conditions.
Synonyms
434
1.3
A time when something happens later than planned
276
2.0
A time when something is paused or delayed
35
3.5
A time when movement or activity stops completely
20
3.8
A delay that stops something from moving forward
16
5.9
An unexpected problem that stops progress in a plan or process
2
6.0
To become narrow and slow progress
1
6.3
A situation where normal activity stops or slows because of a block
1
4.3
A reason that stops progress or keeps something in place
A sudden problem that stops progress and causes delay
How Serious
Surface Forms
Morphology
major + hold-up
The noun 'hold-up' derives from the phrasal verb 'hold up' (to delay), so a learner who recognises the phrasal pattern may infer 'hold-up' as a delay when combined with 'major'. However, the connection is somewhat metaphorical and the compound is ambiguous (it can also mean 'robbery'), so the meaning is not fully predictable from the separate words for an average B1 learner.
Etymology
The phrase major hold-up comes from the image of something that holds things up, like a fallen tree or a person stopping traffic so nothing can move. So a major hold-up means a 'big delay' that stops or slows progress.