defer
de·fer/dɪˈfɜː/verb
defer is spelled D-E-F-E-R: 5 letters and 2 syllables (de·fer). It appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, defer means “To delay or postpone” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in defer?
| Letters | 5: D-E-F-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: de·fer |
| In writing | 1.6 times per million words; the 22,362nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is defer?
Defer appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce defer?
- UK /dɪˈfɜː/
- /dɪˈfeː/
- /dɪˈfɛː/
Defer has 2 syllables, split de·fer in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-defer.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with defer?
5 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as defer from its last stressed vowel (/ɜ/, British pronunciation):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of defer
- defers present, singular, he/she/it
- deferring participle, present
- deferred participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does defer mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To delay or postpone.
We're going to defer the decision until we have all the facts.
- 2
to postpone induction into military service.
- 3
After winning the opening coin toss, to postpone until the start of the second half a team's choice of whether to kick off or receive (and to allow the opposing team to make this choice at the start of the first half).
- 4
To delay, to wait.
- 5
To submit to the opinion or desire of others in respect to their judgment or authority.
- 6
To render, to offer.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Defer in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | différer, reporter, remettre , s'en remettre |
| German | aufschieben, aufheben, verzögern, vertagen, verschieben, zurückstellen |
| Portuguese | adiar, pospor , deferir |
| Spanish | diferir , deferir |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does defer come from?
Originally a variant of (and hence a doublet of) differ; from Middle English differren (“to postpone”), from Old French differer, from Latin differō. Doublet of differ and dilate. See also infer, collate and confer, delate and defer, relate and refer as well as prelate and prefer among others.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).