pause
gb/pˈɔz/ us/pˈɔz/
A2
English
~ 2500
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Stop briefly
To stop what you are doing for a short time and then start again.
Usage pattern:
to pause [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'pause' with 'stop', but 'pause' means the action will continue later.
Synonyms
halt (Implies a more complete or abrupt stop, not always temporary.)
|
break (Often used for longer or more planned stops.)
Antonyms
continue (Means to keep going without stopping.)
|
resume (Means to start again after stopping.)
Collocations
pause briefly
|pause the video
|pause for thought
|pause to consider
Themes
daily life
|communication
|work
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She paused to take a sip of water.
- He paused the movie to answer the phone.
- The speaker paused for a moment before continuing.
- I paused my workout to tie my shoes.
Learner examples
- I paused the video to write notes.
- Please pause and listen to me.
- He paused before he spoke.
- We paused our game to eat.
Noun
A2
event
2
Short break or stop
A short time when something stops and then starts again.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'break' instead of 'pause' when describing very short stops, especially in conversation.
Synonyms
break (Can be longer and less temporary than a pause.)
|
interruption (Implies something has been broken into, sometimes unexpectedly.)
Antonyms
continuation (Means going on without any break.)
Collocations
long pause
|awkward pause
|brief pause
|pregnant pause
Themes
daily life
|communication
|time
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- There was a long pause before she answered.
- He took a pause to catch his breath.
- After a brief pause, the teacher continued speaking.
- The pause in conversation felt awkward.
Learner examples
- There was a pause in the talk.
- He made a pause before answering.
- We had a short pause for tea.
- She spoke after a long pause.
Verb
A2
action
3
Temporarily stop a device
To make a machine or program stop for a short time without turning it off.
Usage pattern:
to pause [device/media]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'pause' with 'stop', but 'stop' often ends the action completely rather than temporarily halting it.
Synonyms
freeze (In computing, can mean the system has stopped working unintentionally.)
Antonyms
play (In media contexts, to start or continue playing.)
Collocations
pause the recording
|pause the game
|pause playback
Themes
technology
|media
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- You can pause the video if you need a break.
- I paused the music when the phone rang.
- She paused the game to get some snacks.
Learner examples
- Pause the music, please.
- I paused the video to drink water.
- He paused the game to eat dinner.
Grammar
Dictionary form
pause
IPA
GB/pˈɔz/
US/pˈɔz/
Syllables & stress
pause (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (pause)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: pause
- Plural: pauses
Verb
- Base: pause
- 3rd Person Singular: pauses
- Present Participle: pausing
- Past: paused
Word family
Forms
pauses
noun
pausing
verb
paused
verb
Negative and opposite forms
unpause
verb
Expressions
pause for thought
1/pˈɔz fɚ θˈɔt/
fixed phrase
Stop briefly to think
To stop for a short time so you can think carefully before you speak or act.
Examples
- His question made her pause for thought before answering.
- The news should make us all pause for thought about our future.
pregnant pause
1/pɹˈɛɡnənt pˈɔz/
idiom
literary
A pause full of unspoken meaning
A short time of silence that feels important or full of meaning.
Examples
- There was a pregnant pause before she responded to the question.
- After his confession, a pregnant pause filled the room.
pregnant pause
2/pɹˈɛɡnənt pˈɔz/
idiom
Meaningful or tense silence
A silence that feels important because people expect something to happen or be said.
Examples
- There was a pregnant pause before he finally told the truth.
- She let the pregnant pause hang in the air before continuing.