Anticipate vs Delay - What's the difference?
anticipate | delay |
To act before (someone), especially to prevent an action.
to take up or introduce (something) prematurely.
to know of (something) before it happens; to expect.
* {{quote-book, year=1907, author=
, title=The Dust of Conflict
, chapter=31 * {{quote-news, year=2011
, date=October 2
, author=Jonathan Jurejko
, title=Bolton 1 - 5 Chelsea
, work=BBC Sport
But surely they did not anticipate the ease with which their team raced into an almost impregnable half-time lead.}} to eagerly wait for (something)
To put off until a later time; to defer.
* Bible, (w) xxiv. 48
To retard; to stop, detain, or hinder, for a time.
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=10
, passage=Mr. Cooke had had a sloop?yacht built at Far Harbor, the completion of which had been delayed , and which was but just delivered. […] The Maria had a cabin, which was finished in hard wood and yellow plush, and accommodations for keeping things cold.}}
(label) To allay; to temper.
* (Edmund Spenser) (c.1552–1599)
A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.
* Bible, Acts xxv. 17
* Macaulay
(obsolete) To dilute, temper.
(obsolete) To assuage, quench, allay.
* 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , III.12:
As verbs the difference between anticipate and delay
is that anticipate is to act before (someone), especially to prevent an action while delay is to put off until a later time; to defer or delay can be (obsolete) to dilute, temper.As a noun delay is
a period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.anticipate
English
Verb
(anticipat)- To anticipate and prevent the duke's purpose. --R. Hall.
- He would probably have died by the hand of the executioner, if indeed the executioner had not been anticipated by the populace. -- .
- The advocate plans to anticipate a part of her argument.
- to anticipate the pleasures of a visit
- to anticipate the evils of life
- Please anticipate a journey of an hour from your house to the airport
citation, passage=The task was more to Appleby's liking than the one he had anticipated , and it was necessary, since the smaller merchants in Cuba and also in parts of Peninsular Spain have no great confidence in bankers, and prefer a packet of golden onzas or a bag of pesetas to the best accredited cheque.}}
citation, page= , passage=And with Bolton suffering a wretched run of five straight home defeats - their worst run in 109 years - Chelsea fans would have been forgiven for expecting a comfortable win.
But surely they did not anticipate the ease with which their team raced into an almost impregnable half-time lead.}}
- Little Johnny started to anticipate the arrival of Santa Claus a week before Christmas.
Usage notes
The words anticipate'' and ''expect'' both regard some future event as likely to take place. Nowadays they are often used interchangeably although ''anticipate is associated with acting because of an expectation. (E.g. skilled sportsmen anticipate the action and position themselves accordingly.)Synonyms
* (to act before someone) preclude * (to take up or introduce something prematurely) * (to know of something before it manifests) expect, foretaste, foresee * (to eagerly await something) look forward todelay
English
(wikipedia delay)Etymology 1
From (etyl) . More at let (to hinder), late, leave.Verb
(en verb)- My lord delayeth his coming.
- The watery showers delay the raging wind.
Usage notes
* This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing) . SeeSynonyms
* See also * adjourn * defer * forslow * postpone * put off * put on ice * suspendNoun
(en noun)- the delay before the echo of a sound
- Without any delay , on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat.
- The government ought to be settled without the delay of a day.
Etymology 2
From (etyl) .Verb
(en verb)- Those dreadfull flames she also found delayd / And quenched quite like a consumed torch […].