pause

give (one) pause

To cause one to take a moment to consider something; to cause one to hesitate. I'd love to buy a house, but the fact that I'd have to completely deplete my savings account to do it gives me pause. That statistic should give everyone pause.

See also: give, pause

give (one) pause for thought

To cause one to take a moment to consider something. I'd love to buy a house, but the fact that I'd have to completely deplete my savings account to do it gives me pause for thought.

See also: give, pause, thought

give pause to (one)

To cause one to take a moment to consider something. I'd love to buy a house, but the fact that I'd have to completely deplete my savings account to do it gives pause to me.

See also: give, pause

pregnant silence

A long pause in speech that indicates a lot of meaning or significance. There was a pregnant silence when the topic changed to Grandpa's will, and everyone could tell that something shocking was about to be revealed. The most telling part of his speech was the pregnant silence before he denied any wrongdoing.

See also: pregnant, silence

pregnant pause

A long pause in speech that indicates a lot of meaning or significance. There was a pregnant pause when the topic changed to Grandpa's will, and everyone could tell that something shocking was about to be revealed. The most telling part of his speech was the pregnant pause before he denied any wrongdoing.

See also: pause, pregnant

give someone pause (for thought)

Fig. to cause someone to stop and think. When I see a golden sunrise, it gives me pause for thought. Witnessing an accident is likely to give all of us pause.

See also: give, pause

give pause

Cause one to hesitate, as in The high monthly installment payments gave me pause, or, as Shakespeare put it in Hamlet (3:1): "For in that sleep of death what dreams may come ... Must give us pause." [c. 1600]

See also: give, pause

give pause to someone (or give someone pause (for thought)

cause someone to think carefully or hesitate before doing something.

See also: give, pause, someone

a pregnant pause (or silence)

a pause or silence that is laden with meaning or significance.

See also: pause, pregnant

give (somebody) pause for ˈthought

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give (somebody) ˈpause

(formal) make somebody think seriously about something or hesitate before doing something: His remarks on the conditions in our prisons gave me pause for thought. Until that moment I’d never realized things were so bad.

See also: give, pause, thought

a pregnant ˈpause/ˈsilence

a pause/silence in which everyone is waiting or listening for something, or a moment of silence which is full of meaning: There was a pregnant pause while everyone waited to hear what she had to say.

See also: pause, pregnant, silence