1. vt. & vi.（使）耽搁，延误　 (cause to) be late; move or act slowly, especially on purpose
2. vt.推迟，使延期　 put (sth) off until later; postpone

　～ a settlement of the question　推迟解决问题
　～ answering the letter　推迟答复
　～ dinner　推迟宴会
　～ one's departure　延误某人启程
　～ one's marriage　推迟结婚
　～ one's plan　延误计划
　～ one's trip　耽误某人的旅行
　～ one's work　耽误工作
　～ the appointment　推迟任命
　～ the discussion on sth　推迟讨论某事
　～ the flight　延误航班
　～ the game　推迟比赛
　～ the outbreak of the war　推迟战争的爆发
　～ treatment　延误治疗
　～ disappointingly　失望地延误
　～ heartbreakingly　痛心地耽误
　～ immeasurably　无限地延期
　～ injuriously　有害地延误
　～ painfully　痛苦地延误
　～ seriously　严重耽误
　～ slightly　稍稍推迟
　～ unaccountably　莫名其妙地延期
　～ unfortunately　不幸地延误
　～ unreasonably　不合理地延长
　～ uselessly　没必要地延期
　～ for an hour　推迟一小时
　～ for some time　推迟一段时间
　～ until　在…前交货

　Don't delay. The bell is going to ring. Please turn in your paper immediately.　别拖延了，铃就要响了，马上交卷吧。
　To delay would make the cure much more difficult.　拖延就会给治疗增加困难。
　Realizing the urgency of the matter, he dared not delay.　他认识到事情紧急，不敢耽搁。
　They are trying to delay until help arrives.　他们设法拖延等待援助。
　Tell him I have a headache, I won't delay him today.　告诉他我头疼，今天不耽搁他了。
　Heavy traffic delayed us.　交通拥挤，我们在路上耽搁了。
　His original plan was to finish their journey in seven days, but the blizzard delayed them.　他原计划七天走完这段路程，但大风雪使他们耽搁了。
　I wrote to my parents last night. I couldn't delay it any longer.　昨天晚上我给父母写了封信，这事我不能再拖了。
　I've decided to delay my visit to my parents' home.　我已决定延迟去我父母家。
　We have delayed publication of the book till spring.　我们把这本书推迟到春季才出版。
　The plans for the magazine were delayed.　这个杂志的出版计划被延误了。
　The train has been delayed by an accident.　火车因发生事故而误点了。
　The flight was delayed due to bad weather.　由于天气不好，航班推迟了。
　I am sorry I was delayed the other day, and unable to keep my appointment with you.　那一天我有事耽搁了，没有如约同你见面，很抱歉。
　I was delayed by the heavy traffic.　我因交通拥挤而迟到。
　Why have they delayed opening the new school? 　他们为什么迟迟不开办那所新学校?
　He delayed fixing the roof although it leaked badly.　屋顶漏雨漏得厉害，他还迟迟不修理。
　His high temperature delayed having an infected tooth out.　他由于发高烧推迟拔掉一颗受感染的牙齿。
　Why have you delayed sending the injured man to the hospital?　为什么误了把伤员送到医院?
　Please don't delay your sending in the form.　请不要拖延，快把表格送来。
　Facer always delays writing me a letter.　费塞老是不按时给我写信。
　He delayed my calling the police.　他耽误了我叫警察。

 ♣ delay for　(v.+prep.)
　耽搁…时间　stop over a time
　〔说明〕 介词for有时可省略。
　Disease prevention is like putting out a fire. We can't delay for one minute.　防病如灭火，一分一秒也不能耽误。
　He delayed for a long time before accepting my offer.　他拖延了好久才接受我的建议。
　She delayed a few hours in order to see me.　她为了能见到我，拖延了几个小时。
　〔说明〕 介词for通常不省略。
　You have delayed me for three hours.　你已经耽搁了我3小时。
　The accident delayed the train for two hours.　事故使火车耽搁了两小时。

 ♣ delay v-ing, delay in v-ing
　这两个短语意思不同：前者表示“推迟〔耽误〕做某事”，后者表示“忘记做某事”。试比较：

 ♣ delay, detain, retard, slacken, slow
　这组词都可表示“使某人〔事〕落后于”原计划的安排或通常的进展速度。它们之间的区别是：delay主要指因某事的干扰而妨碍按时完成或到达；detain主要指耽误时间，不能按时到达或离开，也可指不能完成想完成的事情；retard主要指减慢运动、进步速度；slow常与up或down连用，指降低进步的速度，强调主观的意图和目的性；slacken侧重某种松弛〔懈〕。例如：
　I was detained late in the factory.　厂里有事我无法脱身，很晚才离开。
　Cold weather retards the growth of the crops.　寒冷的天气妨碍作物的生长。
　His bad leg slows him down a lot.　他那条受伤的腿使他的速度大受影响。
　Don't slacken your efforts when the job is only half done.　工作只做到一半时可别松劲。
 ♣ delay, dawdle, lag, loiter, procrastinate
　这组词都可表示因行动或动作缓慢而使进步受阻或工作没有完成。它们之间的区别是：delay常指拖延某事（如出发、完成必要的工作等）; procrastinate常指因懒惰、匆忙、冷淡或拖拉的习惯造成耽搁；lag主要指不能保持应有的速度去达到某个目的；loiter主要指进行中或完成工作时的耽搁，也可指因闲逛而落后；dawdle语义比loiter稍弱，侧重闲散、思想不集中而多花时间或浪费时间。例如：
　He procrastinated in making an appointment to see his doctor.　他迟迟不与他的医生预约看病。
　The small boy soon became tired and lagged far behind.　这小男孩一会儿就累了，远远地落到了后面。
　We don't increase our earnings by loitering over our work.　我们靠磨洋工是不会增加收入的。
　Ade dawdled all the way to school.　艾德在上学途中磨磨蹭蹭的。

　许多语法学家认为delay一般不接动词不定式作宾语，而常接动名词作宾语。但在实际语言中还是偶尔可见delay后接动词不定式的情况，这时可把动词不定式看作“耽搁”的结果，用作状语，且通常是由于客观原因；接动名词作宾语则往往含有主动意味。例如：
　Owing to certain reason, we have to delay to go abroad.　由于某种原因，我们只好推迟出国了。
　They delayed to visit the factory.　他们迟迟未去参观那家工厂。
　Why does she delay to come?　为什么她迟迟不来?
　Why have they delayed setting up the spare-time school?　他们为什么推迟开设业余学校?

1. U 耽搁，延迟　 delaying or being delayed
2. C 被耽搁〔推迟〕的事件或时间　 an example of being delayed; amount of time for which sb/sth is delayed

　avoid ～　避免耽搁
　cause ～　造成延误
　great ～　严重的耽搁
　long ～　长期拖延
　serious ～　严重的延误
　unnecessary ～　不必要的耽搁
　unreasonable ～　无故的拖延
　after several ～s　几经耽搁
　owing to postal ～s　由于邮递的耽搁
　without ～　不延迟地，立即
　without the least ～　毫不延迟地
　～ in delivery　延期交货
　～ in payment　延期支付
　～ of two hours　两小时的拖延

　His delay made the teacher angry.　他的迟到使老师生气了。
　The delay proved fatal to our plans.　结果是因为延误而毁了我们的计划。
　It is required of every man that no delay should be made.　要求每个人不得延误。
　The bus was held up by the snowstorm, thus causing the delay.　公共汽车被大风雪所阻，因而耽搁了。
　We were so late that we could afford no further delay.　我们已经太迟了，再也耽搁不起了。
　Repairs on the dam break no delay.　抢救大坝塌方刻不容缓。
　I was angry about the delay.　我对这种拖延感到气愤。
　After much delay, the results of the exam were published.　经过长时间拖延后，考试结果终于公布了。
　He received the visitor after some intentional delay.　他故意拖延一阵后才接见了那位来访者。
　Things were working well, when we were brought up against unexpected delay.　事情本来进行得很顺利，不料我们遇到了耽搁。
　It will take an hour to reach the airport, allowing for traffic delay.　把路上交通的耽搁估计在内，要一小时才能到达机场。
　This work admits of no delay.　这项工作不容拖延。
　We shall inform you of fresh developments without delay.　一有新的进展我们将立即通知你。
　War is certain, we should arm without delay.　战争肯定要发生，我们必须立即武装起来。
　There has been too much delay already; what we need is action.　已经拖延得太久了，我们需要的是行动。
　The delays were caused by events beyond our control.　这些延误都是由一些我们所不能控制的事情造成的。
　I hope we shall not have any more delays.　我希望我们不再受到耽搁。
　We were given a delay of 24 hours to gather more evidence.　我们被准许延迟24小时，以收集更多的证据。
　There will be some delays on all roads because of heavy traffic this morning.　今天早晨由于交通阻塞，每条路上都会有些耽搁。
　After a delay of two hours the plane took off.　延迟两个小时，飞机起飞了。
　After many delays we arrived home at last.　耽误了多次，最后我们终于到家了。
　A delay of just a few days in sowing and a whole year's hard work might come to nothing.　播种季节只要拖几天，全年的辛勤劳动就可能化为乌有。
　The delay in the power station expansion project has affected the supply of electricity.　发电站扩建工程的拖延已影响到供电。
　The strike caused a great delay in the delivery of the mail.　这次罢工严重地延误了邮件的投递。
　Excuse my delay in answering your letter.　来函迟复，望原谅。
　Make no delay in doing what is good.　好事要赶快做。
　We demanded delay in repaying our debts.　我们要求推迟还债期限。
　There must be no delay in forwarding the goods.　发送货物不得拖延。
　He was criticized for his delay in dealing with the matter.　他由于没有及时处理这件事而受到批评。
　They were arguing for a delay in introducing the new mower to the public.　他们主张推迟向公众推出这种新型割草机。

　他因没有及早回信而向她表示歉意。
　［误］ He apologized to her for the delay to reply to a letter.
　［误］ He apologized to her for the delay of replying to a letter.
　［正］ He apologized to her for the delay in replying to a letter.
　［析］ delay可接"in+动名词”，但不可接动词不定式或"of+动名词”。

　［同义词］ v. defer, detain, hold up, postpone, put off, retard
　［反义词］ v. advance, forward, hasten
　［词源］古法语delaier（未及时留下来）