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Glite Dictionary
to give pause

to give pause

1 5.8
To make someone hesitate before acting
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : hacer dudar
  • It's enough to give pause to any law firm representing a client caught in the crosshairs of public controversy.

And I was just given pause, actually great pause.

Examples

  • The increasing reliance on course evaluation forms in higher education today should give pause to anyone calling for the abolition of the tenure system.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Yet, George Lindbeck's postliberal theology, with its outline of the cultural-linguistic theory of religion, should give pause to the enthusiastic embrace of dialogue as a means to theological understanding.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Not everyone would agree with him, and yet his comments give pause.

    Academic text (1991)

  • If the rates that competition creates sometimes seem too high, then they can also be too low, which should give pause to anyone proposing rate relief through government action.

    Academic text (1991)

  • In fact, Ginsburg's view on Roe has given pause to those in the abortion-rights movement.

    Academic text (1993)

  • All of this should give pause to critics suspicious of the motives of white entrepreneurs in Clarksdale.

    Academic text (2018)

  • Reflection on this might perhaps give pause to anyone inclined to make hasty analogies.

    Blog text (23)

  • The specter of social and political breakdown (witness Somalia and Liberia, most dramatically) should itself give pause to anyone expecting a clear path toward democratic change.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Mundane actualities such as these, bespeaking unrealized or misguided ambitions, should give pause to any aspiring artist.

    Academic text (1992)

  • The unexpected news gave pause to the students, making them reconsider their plans.

Synonyms

to give someone pause
vsto give pause
22 6.4

To make someone stop and think carefully before deciding

is about making someone hesitate and consider before taking action
to stop (someone) in (their) tracks
vsto give pause
  • Informal
3 3.9

To suddenly stop moving or speaking because you are surprised

stops people instantly by surprise rather than by careful thought

Antonyms

to encourage
∞ 2.3

Give someone support and confidence so they try or keep doing something

to urge
591 3.2

To strongly encourage someone to do something

How Doubtful

to alarm
133 1.9
to worry
∞ 1.0
to give pause
1 5.8
to plant a seed of doubt
  • Informal
1 5.9
to mention
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

give pause infinitive
gave pause past
given pause past participle
giving pause present participle
gives pause third person singular

Morphology

give + pause

The meaning 'to make someone hesitate or consider' is directly derivable from combining 'give' (to produce or cause) with 'pause' (a brief interruption): together they mean 'cause a pause' or hesitation. This causative composition is common in English and in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Give pause comes from the simple image of give and pause: to 'give' someone a short 'pause', a small stop in movement or speech that makes them think. That's why it now means 'to make someone hesitate or think carefully'.