pause
To take a temporary rest, take a break for a short period after an effort.
Verb 4 meanings
To take a temporary rest, take a break for a short period after an effort.
To stop (an activity) for a while.
To interrupt an activity and wait.
“When telling the scary story, he paused for effect.”
To hesitate; to hold back; to delay.
Noun 4 meanings
A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation.
A short time for relaxing and doing something else.
Hesitation; suspense; doubt.
“to take pause”
In writing and printing, a mark indicating the place and nature of an arrest of voice in reading; a punctuation mark.
“Teach the pupil to mind the pauses.”
Etymology
From Middle French pause, from Latin pausa, from Ancient Greek παῦσις (paûsis), from Ancient Greek παύω (paúō, “stop”), of uncertain origin. Doublet of pausa.
Similar and opposite words
PAUSE at a glance
PAUSE has 5 letters and scores 7 points in Scrabble (P 3 + A 1 + U 1 + S 1 + E 1) and 9 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #7,054 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with pause
All rhymesOne letter away
- CAUSE7
- PARSE7
- PASSE7
- PAISE7
- HAUSE8
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