she was delayed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "she was delayed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where a person was held up or made late due to various reasons, such as traffic, weather, or other unforeseen circumstances. Example: "She was delayed by the heavy traffic on her way to the meeting."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

Bradamante arrives and explains she was delayed as a prisoner of love in Fiordispina's castle.

Columbia University

But she was delayed for good reason: she had been infusing young plasma into an Alzheimer's patient enrolled on the trial – a procedure that cannot be rushed.

The Guardian

But there was an older lady, probably in her late 60s, who was slightly hard of hearing, and she was delayed.

The Guardian

In October, Ms. Aleskerova, apparently learning of the arrest and concerned about the rest of the art, flew to New York, where she was delayed at Kennedy International Airport under a pretext until Customs agents could assemble a surveillance team.

The New York Times - Arts

It's the reason she was delayed in all of her gross motor milestones.

Huffington Post

Due to her rough start in life, it was evident from very early on that she was delayed in meeting her developmental milestones.

HuffPost

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

He dismissed suggestions that she was delaying because of fears for her security.

The New York Times

The view within the immigration department was that she was delaying making a decision to prevent being returned to Nauru.

The Guardian

She said she was delaying them for a matter of months merely to get "further interpretation" of scientific and health studies of their effects.

The New York Times - Science

The immigration department raised concerns she was delaying making a decision to avoid returning to Nauru, and believed she had never intended to have the procedure.

The Guardian

May triggered the ire of lawmakers when she announced Monday that she was delaying a parliamentary vote on her Brexit deal, after concluding it would have faced a devastating defeat in the House of Commons.

The Washington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "she was delayed" when you want to convey that someone was late due to unforeseen circumstances or external factors. Be specific about the cause of the delay if relevant to the context.

Common error

Avoid using "denied" when you mean "delayed". "Denied" means refused or rejected, while "delayed" means postponed or made late. For example, say "She was delayed by traffic", not "She was denied by traffic".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "she was delayed" functions primarily as a statement indicating that a female subject experienced a postponement or lateness. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically sound. The examples illustrate this usage across different contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

30%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Science

10%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "she was delayed" is a grammatically correct and frequently used expression to indicate that a female individual experienced a postponement or lateness. As verified by Ludwig, it is suitable for various contexts, ranging from formal news reports to informal personal narratives. The sources provided highlight its widespread usage across news and media, Wiki, and academia. When using this phrase, it's important to convey the cause of the delay, if relevant. It is also essential to avoid confusion with similar-sounding words like "denied". Overall, "she was delayed" is a versatile and clear way to express that someone experienced a delay, as validated by Ludwig.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

she faced a delay

A more general term to indicate that something caused her to be late.

she was running late

Indicates she was not on time, but does not provide a specific reason.

she was held up

Suggests she was prevented from arriving on time due to an external cause.

she arrived late

Focuses on the lateness of her arrival, without specifying the cause.

she couldn't make it on time

Explains her inability to arrive at the expected time.

she was running behind schedule

Highlights that she was not on time according to a plan.

she experienced a setback

Emphasizes that she had an unexpected problem that made her late.

her arrival was postponed

Indicates her arrival was intentionally moved to a later time.

she was kept waiting

Highlights that someone or something caused her to wait and be late.

she missed her appointment

Focuses on the consequence of being delayed, specifically missing an appointment.

FAQs

What does "she was delayed" mean?

The phrase "she was delayed" means that a female individual experienced a situation that caused her to be late or prevented her from arriving on time. This could be due to a variety of reasons, such as traffic, weather, or unforeseen circumstances.

What can I say instead of "she was delayed"?

You can use alternatives like "she arrived late", "she was running late", or "she was held up" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "she was delay"?

No, it is not correct. The correct phrase is "she was delayed". "Delayed" is the past participle of the verb "delay" and functions as an adjective in this context.

How do I use "she was delayed" in a sentence?

You can use "she was delayed" in a sentence to explain why someone was late or unable to arrive on time. For example, "She was delayed by the snowstorm and arrived an hour late".