ALL meanings of give pause
give pause
G g - noun give pause a temporary stop or rest, especially in speech or action: a short pause after each stroke of the oar. 1
- noun give pause a cessation of activity because of doubt or uncertainty; a momentary hesitation. 1
- noun give pause any comparatively brief stop, delay, wait, etc.: I would like to make a pause in my talk and continue after lunch. 1
- noun give pause a break or rest in speaking or reading to emphasize meaning, grammatical relation, metrical division, etc., or in writing or printing by the use of punctuation. 1
- noun give pause Prosody. a break or suspension, as a caesura, in a line of verse. 1
- noun give pause Music. a fermata. 1
- verb without object give pause to make a brief stop or delay; wait; hesitate: He paused at the edge of the pool for a moment. I'll pause in my lecture so we can all get some coffee. 1
- verb without object give pause to dwell or linger (usually followed by on or upon): to pause upon a particular point. 1
- idioms give pause give pause, to cause to hesitate or be unsure, as from surprise or doubt: These frightening statistics give us pause. 1