pause

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. cessation, rest, hesitation, inactivity; lull, stop, discontinuance, suspension. —v. i. desist, halt, stop, cease, break. See doubt, repose.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [A break]

Syn. intermission, suspension, discontinuance, breathing space, breather*, hitch, hesitancy, interlude, hiatus, abeyance, interim, lapse, cessation, stopover, interval, rest period, gap, stoppage; see also recess 1 .

Ant. continuation*, prolongation, progression.

2. [Temporary inaction]

Syn. lull, rest, stop, halt, truce, suspension of active hostilities, stay, respite, interregnum, standstill, stand, deadlock, stillness.

Ant. persistence*, steadiness, ceaselessness.

• give one pause,

Syn. make one stop and think, cause doubt, create suspicion, create uncertainty; see confuse .

v.

Syn. delay, halt, rest, catch one's breath, cease, hold back, reflect, deliberate, suspend, think twice, discontinue, interrupt, rest one's oars*; see also hesitate .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

break, stop, rest, time out, beat, delay, wait, gap, suspension, respite, halt, cessation.

ANT.: continuation

II

v.

break, stop, rest, take time out, delay, wait, suspend, halt, cease, take a breather.

ANT.: continue, carry on, proceed

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I verb 1. To stop temporarily and remain, as if reluctant to leave: abide, bide, linger, stay1, tarry, wait. See CONTINUE. 2. To be irresolute in acting or doing: dither, falter, halt2, hesitate, shilly-shally, stagger, vacillate, waver, wobble. See DECIDE. II noun 1. A cessation of continuity or regularity: break, discontinuance, discontinuation, discontinuity, disruption, interruption, suspension. See CONTINUE. 2. The act of hesitating or state of being hesitant: hesitancy, hesitation, indecision, indecisiveness, irresoluteness, irresolution, shilly-shally, tentativeness, timidity, timidness, to-and-fro, vacillation. See DECIDE.