had a delay

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had a delay" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when describing a situation in which something occurred at a later time than originally anticipated. For example: "The flight had a delay, so we ended up arriving later than expected."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The short lasting increase in power in the theta band upon initiation and termination of FES, over both contra and ipsilateral sites, had a delay of 300 400 ms with respect to FES.

Clinical Neurophysiology

There were small significant differences in irradiance among aspects, however, the daily peak had a delay from SE to SW.

Ecological Engineering

I'm sure we had a delay there over months because they saw me as an I.T. firm".

The New York Times

We arrived by train at Marienbad, where, for causes I do not know, we had a delay of about one week.

Yale University

We also had a delay between the motor motion and string movement due to the parts used to connect the motors to the puppet.

Cornell University

Since up to 89% patients with early-stage disease have symptoms prior to diagnosis, increased awareness of the medical community may facilitate further workup in patients who otherwise would have had a delay.

Gynecologic Oncology

Once again, sparser topologies satisfy the delay requirements; for 25-vehicle network, on average more than 75% of the beacons had a delay of less than 100 ms.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Each joint had a delay of about 0.1 s, because of the influence of the delay in the pneumatic system and mechanical clearance in the joints.

Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering

Prior to today's launch of real-time, Google Analytics reports typically had a delay window upwards of three hours (and often longer), which meant this kind of tracking wasn't possible.

TechCrunch

One patient had a delay in her therapy secondary to an anaphylactoid reaction, which may have contributed to her hepatic failure, as the patient ultimately received an orthotopic liver transplant [14].

International Journal of Emergency Medicine

Women were selected based on their susceptibility to have MM; female migraineurs who were given estradiol had a delay in their migraine attacks until the level of estradiol dropped to pretreatment levels.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had a delay", specify the reason or cause of the delay to provide more context and clarity for your reader. For example, "The project had a delay due to unforeseen technical issues."

Common error

Avoid using "had a delay" in overly passive constructions. Instead of saying "The shipment had a delay imposed by customs", try "Customs delayed the shipment" for a more direct and impactful sentence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had a delay" functions as a verb phrase indicating that something experienced a postponement or slowing down. Ludwig AI confirms that this is correct usage, supported by numerous examples across various domains.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

73%

News & Media

11%

Academia

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Reference

2%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had a delay" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to denote that something experienced a postponement. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and provides numerous examples across diverse domains. While versatile, specifying the reason for the delay enhances clarity. This phrase maintains a neutral register, fitting comfortably in both formal and informal contexts. It is important to avoid passive voice constructions and be mindful of situations that could cause a delay. The phrase is very common especially in the science domain. Alternative phrases such as "experienced a setback" or "encountered a postponement" can be used to add variety to writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

experienced a setback

Replaces "had a delay" with a more general term for an obstacle or problem.

encountered a postponement

Uses a more formal word, "postponement", to express the delay.

was subject to a delay

Changes the sentence structure to passive voice.

faced a hold-up

Uses the less formal term "hold-up" to describe the delay.

ran into a snag

Employs the idiomatic expression "ran into a snag" to imply a minor problem causing the delay.

underwent a deferment

Replaces "delay" with the more formal "deferment", often used in official contexts.

met with an impediment

Uses "impediment" to denote something that hinders or delays progress.

was slowed down

Expresses the delay in terms of reduced speed or progress.

suffered a retardation

A more technical term suggesting a slowing down of progress or development.

was set back

Uses the phrasal verb "set back" to indicate a hindrance that caused a delay.

FAQs

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

You can use "had a delay" to describe any situation where something was postponed or slowed down. For example: "The train "had a delay" due to a mechanical issue", or "The project "had a delay" because of funding problems".

What can I say instead of "had a delay"?

You can use alternatives like "experienced a setback", "encountered a postponement", or "was subject to a delay" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "had a delay" or "experienced a delay"?

Both "had a delay" and "experienced a delay" are grammatically correct and generally interchangeable. The choice often depends on personal preference or stylistic considerations.

What's the difference between "had a delay" and "was delayed"?

"Had a delay" implies that something actively caused a delay. "Was delayed", such as in the phrase "the flight was delayed", is a passive construction that focuses on the effect rather than the cause. Both are correct depending on the context.