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pause

pause

192 1.0
A short stop in speaking or activity
  • noun
  • /pɔz/
translation icon : pausa
  • After a long pause, he finally answered the question with careful consideration.
  • a long pause
  • a dramatic pause
  • a pause button

You would take these very long pauses, little stammers.

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Examples

  • So a brief pause and feel free to send me any questions.

  • Let's take a short pause to reflect on our progress before moving forward.

  • So just take a little pause, take a little break.

  • So, so I think that pause was there for a reason.

  • There was a pause at my end as I took in this statement.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Let's take a little pause to talk about it.

  • After an uncomfortable pause, I responded with three words.

  • That's, that gives me pause in a good way.

  • Sometimes just a pause at the right place invites a response from your patient.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Notice how comedians make use of a pause to hold a listener's attention before giving the punch line.

    Academic text (2011)

Synonyms

break
vspause
1.0

A short rest from work or activity

is the same brief interruption but more general in use
stop
vspause
310 1.0

An act when something ends or pauses

is a shorter temporary break rather than a complete end
hold
vspause
276 2.0

A time when something is paused or delayed

is any short temporary stop rather than an administrative delay
breath
vspause
224 1.0

A short rest or pause between activities

is any brief interruption, not only for physical recovery
hesitation
vspause
110 2.8

A short pause before you speak or act because you feel unsure

is a neutral short stop, not caused by doubt or nerves
halt
vspause
109 2.3

A stop in movement or activity

is milder and usually shorter than a forceful cessation
interruption
vspause
99 3.0

A short time when something stops or is delayed

is any brief break but not necessarily an unexpected break
suspension
vspause
70 4.3

A temporary stop of an activity or service

is a simple short break rather than a formal temporary halt
time out
vspause
46 2.3

A short break from an activity to rest or talk about what to do next

is more general and not tied to informal rest moments
moratorium
vspause
  • Formal
45 8.5

A temporary official stop of an activity by those in charge

is an ordinary short break rather than a formal suspension
intermission
vspause
38 3.9

A short break during a performance or meeting when people can rest

is a general break not limited to performances or events
hiatus
vspause
34 6.3

A pause in an activity or series that is usually temporary

is usually a short interruption rather than an extended gap
lull
vspause
28 4.6

A short quiet time when activity pauses

is a neutral short stop rather than a restful quiet spell
stoppage
vspause
15 4.1

A time when something stops moving or working

is usually shorter and less final than that full halt
bathroom break
vspause
  • US
13 1.2

A short pause to use the toilet

is a general short interruption, not tied to that purpose
caesura
vspause
  • Literature
1 9.9

A pause in the middle of a line of poetry or in speech to make a clear break

is a plain everyday short stop across speech or activity
quick breather
vspause
  • Informal
1 3.0

A short break to breathe and rest

is a broader brief stop that may not be for rest
stopped play
vspause
1 4.3

A pause in a game because of bad weather or other events

is a general temporary stop across many activities and speech
comfort break
vspause
  • UK
3.7

A short pause to use the toilet or have a brief rest

is any temporary break, not specifically for personal needs
break-off
vspause
3.9

A short pause in an activity

is a plain temporary stop without implying separation

Antonyms

56 3.6

An act of something keeping going without stopping

13 5.6

To start something again after it stopped

Idioms

To make someone stop and think carefully before deciding

How Long

stop
310 1.0
interruption
99 3.0
break
1.0
pause
192 1.0
hesitation
110 2.8

Surface Forms

pause singular
pauses plural

Etymology

The word pause comes from the old Greek root paus- meaning 'a stopping'. Imagine a short silence in music or the pause button on a player, so a pause is a short break or stop in an activity.