WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
pause /pɔz/USA pronunciation
n., v., paused, paus•ing.
n. [countable]
v. [no object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026n. [countable]
- a temporary stop or rest:After a brief pause, he resumed his speech.
v. [no object]
- to make a brief stop or delay:The pilot paused, then dove toward the target.
- Idioms give pause, to cause to hesitate or reconsider, as from surprise or doubt: [give + object + pause]The presence of the bodyguards and their two machine guns gave him pause.[~ + pause + to + object]The bitter cold gave pause to even the most curious onlooker.
pause
(pôz),USA pronunciation n., v., paused, paus•ing.
n.
v.i.
paus′al, adj.
pause′ful, adj.
pause′ful•ly, adv.
pause′less, adj.
pause′less•ly, adv.
paus′er, n.
paus′ing•ly, adv.
n.
- a temporary stop or rest, esp. in speech or action:a short pause after each stroke of the oar.
- a cessation of activity because of doubt or uncertainty;
a momentary hesitation. - any comparatively brief stop, delay, wait, etc.:I would like to make a pause in my talk and continue after lunch.
- 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.
- Poetry[Pros.]a break or suspension, as a caesura, in a line of verse.
- Music and Dancea fermata.
- Idioms give pause, to cause to hesitate or be unsure, as from surprise or doubt:These frightening statistics give us pause.
v.i.
- 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. - to dwell or linger (usually fol. by on or upon):to pause upon a particular point.
- Greek paûsis a halt, equivalent. to paú(ein) to stop + -sis -sis; (verb, verbal) derivative of the noun, nominal
- Latin pausa
- (noun, nominal) Middle English 1400–50
pause′ful, adj.
pause′ful•ly, adv.
pause′less, adj.
pause′less•ly, adv.
paus′er, n.
paus′ing•ly, adv.
- 1–3. suspension, interruption, break, halt; hiatus, lacuna. 8. rest. 9. tarry, delay.