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defer

verb

Simple meaning

To delay or postpone.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

dihfur

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

dɪˈfɝ

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. transitive

    To delay or postpone.

  2. intransitive

    To delay, to wait.

  3. ambitransitive

    To submit to the opinion or desire of others in respect to their judgment or authority.

  4. To render, to offer.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Uncommon
Typical Use
Neutral / general English

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

After

defer action

Hold

longer defer

Other combinations

defer paymentdefer discussiondefer considerationtherefore defer

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Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

  • table

    To remove from the agenda, to postpone dealing with.

  • postpone

    To delay or put off an event, appointment, etc.

  • put off

    To postpone, especially through procrastination.

  • set back

    To delay or obstruct.

  • hold over

    To save, delay.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Word family

Words built from the same root.

  • deferencenounDerived noun

    A courteous expression (by word or deed) of esteem or regard.

  • defermentnounDerived noun

    Act of putting off to a future time.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • deferred paymentnounCompound term

    Arrangement for deferred payment for goods and services.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.