Pause
/pɔːz/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo stop briefly before continuing with an action or speaking.
/pɔːz/
To stop briefly.
She paused to consider his question.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're telling a story, and you suddenly stop talking for a second to think. That's a pause! It's like a little break in what you're doing.
👶 For kids: To stop doing something for a little bit.
More Examples
The music paused unexpectedly.
Let's pause here and take a break.
How It's Used
"He paused to catch his breath."
"The program paused while it loaded the data."
A temporary cessation of an activity or action.
/pɔːz/
A temporary stop.
There was a long pause before she answered.
💡 Simply: When you're watching a movie, you can press the 'pause' button to stop it for a moment. A pause is like that: a short break.
👶 For kids: A little stop or break.
More Examples
We need a pause for refreshment.
The pause in the music created suspense.
How It's Used
"The composer marked a pause in the score."
"There was a long pause after his announcement."
Synonyms
Idioms & expressions
Give someone pause
To cause someone to hesitate or reconsider something.
"His strange behavior gave me pause."
Press pause
To stop an action or activity momentarily.
"Let's press pause on this discussion and revisit it later."
From Middle English *pause*, from Old French *pause*, from Latin *pausa* ('a stop, rest, interruption'), from Greek *pausis* ('a stop, cessation'), from *pauein* ('to stop').
The word 'pause' has been used since the 14th century, initially to denote a break in music or speech.
Memory tip
Think of a traffic light: it makes you PAUSE before you can go.