excessive delay

USAGE SUMMARY

'excessive delay' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to a situation where a problem is taking too long to resolve, or a delay is taking too long to end. For example: "The company was criticized for its excessive delay in responding to the customer's complaint."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

36 human-written examples

There has been excessive delay in building a bridge across West Street.

The New York Times

"Any excessive delay in customer service is unacceptable," the department said.

The New York Times

Bufferbloat is excessive delay due to the accumulation of packets in a router's oversized queues.

Computer Communications

The 77-page report used words like "carelessness," "complacency," "lack of diligence" and "excessive delay" in describing the actions of the five, the paper said.

The New York Times

The European court of human rights has found that there was an excessive delay to an inquest into a Northern Ireland prisoner's death at a top security jail.

The Guardian

Recommendations on number of toll booths are presented in order to process peak traffic hours without excessive delay times or long queues.

Ain Shams Engineering Journal

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

24 human-written examples

This results in excessive delays for road users.

Journal of Network and Computer Applications

Yet even Mr. Feldstein warned that excessive delays in capital projects would make them irrelevant.

The New York Times

The results show the method is efficient in filtering out the spikes without provoking excessive delays.

Electric Power Systems Research

Installation of more than the optimum requires excessive capital investment, while less than optimum means excessive delays in service.

Britannica

She criticised officials for frustrating her investigation of the Guardian's complaint through excessive delays in responding.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "excessive delay", consider the context to determine if a more specific adjective would be more impactful, such as "unnecessary delay" if the delay was avoidable, or "prolonged delay" if emphasizing duration is key.

Common error

Avoid using "excessive delay" when a specific timeframe is known. Instead of saying "There was an excessive delay", specify the duration: "There was a three-month delay" for greater clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "excessive delay" functions primarily as a noun phrase, where the adjective "excessive" modifies the noun "delay". Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage. It typically serves to describe a situation or period characterized by an unacceptably long waiting time.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

32%

Science

40%

Academia

28%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "excessive delay" is a common and grammatically correct phrase used to describe a delay that is longer than acceptable. Ludwig AI confirms it's suitable for various contexts, especially news, science, and academic writing. When writing, it's important to consider more specific adjectives to enhance impact and clarity, and to avoid using "excessive delay" when a specific timeframe is available. Related phrases such as ""undue delay"" and ""unreasonable delay"" can offer subtle differences in meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Undue delay

Replaces "excessive" with "undue", implying the delay is inappropriate or unwarranted.

Unreasonable delay

This alternative emphasizes the lack of logic behind the delay.

Inordinate delay

Substitutes "excessive" with "inordinate", suggesting the delay is beyond what is considered normal or reasonable.

Unwarranted delay

Uses "unwarranted" instead of "excessive" to convey that the delay lacks justification.

Unnecessary delay

Employs "unnecessary" to indicate that the delay could have been avoided.

Prolonged delay

Replaces "excessive" with "prolonged", emphasizing the extended duration of the delay.

Extended delay

Uses "extended" in place of "excessive" to highlight the lengthy nature of the delay.

Considerable delay

Replaces "excessive" with "considerable" indicating that the delay is significant.

Substantial delay

Employs "substantial" to suggest the delay is of considerable magnitude.

Overlong delay

Conveys that the delay is longer than what is desirable or acceptable.

FAQs

How can I use "excessive delay" in a sentence?

You can use "excessive delay" to describe a situation where something is taking longer than it should. For example, "The project suffered from "excessive delay" due to unforeseen circumstances."

What are some alternatives to "excessive delay"?

Alternatives to "excessive delay" include "undue delay", "unreasonable delay", or "prolonged delay", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "excessive delay" formal or informal?

"Excessive delay" is generally considered neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. The level of formality depends more on the surrounding language and the specific situation.

What is the difference between "excessive delay" and "undue delay"?

While both phrases indicate that something is taking too long, ""excessive delay"" emphasizes the degree of the delay, while ""undue delay"" suggests the delay is inappropriate or unjustified.