Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'dilatory'

English Word: dilatory

Key Russian Translations:

• задерживающий (/zədʲɪrʐɨˈvaɨɕːɪj/) - [Formal, Adjective]
• медлительный (/mʲɪdlʲɪˈtʲelʲnɨj/) - [Informal, Adjective]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in legal, administrative, or everyday contexts where delays are discussed, but not as frequent as basic adjectives).

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; learners at this level can grasp the concept with practice, as it involves adjective forms and contextual usage in Russian).

Pronunciation (Russian):

задерживающий: /zədʲɪrʐɨˈvaɨɕːɪj/ (Note on задерживающий: The stress is on the fourth syllable; be careful with the palatalized 'дʲ' sound, which is common in Russian adjectives. This word may vary slightly in rapid speech.)

медлительный: /mʲɪdlʲɪˈtʲelʲnɨj/ (Note on медлительный: Stress falls on the third syllable; the 'лʲ' is softly palatalized, which can be tricky for beginners.)

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Tending to cause delay or procrastination (e.g., in legal or procedural contexts).

Translation(s) & Context:

• задерживающий - Used in formal settings, such as legal documents or official reports, to describe actions that intentionally slow down processes.
• медлительный - Applied in everyday informal contexts to describe someone or something that is slow or procrastinating without malice.

Usage Examples:

• Его задерживающий подход к работе вызвал проблемы в проекте. (His dilatory approach to work caused issues in the project.)

  Translation: His dilatory approach to work caused issues in the project.

• Эта бюрократия кажется намеренно задерживающей, чтобы избежать решения. (This bureaucracy seems intentionally dilatory to avoid making a decision.)

  Translation: This bureaucracy seems intentionally dilatory to avoid making a decision.

• Медлительный сотрудник всегда оттягивает сроки сдачи. (The dilatory employee always delays submission deadlines.)

  Translation: The dilatory employee always delays submission deadlines.

• Из-за задерживающего регламента заседание отложили на неделю. (Due to the dilatory regulations, the meeting was postponed for a week.)

  Translation: Due to the dilatory regulations, the meeting was postponed for a week.

Meaning 2: Characterized by slowness or reluctance (e.g., in personal behavior).

Translation(s) & Context:

• медлительный - Often used in casual conversations to describe habitual procrastination or sluggishness.
• задерживающий - Less common here, but can apply in more structured contexts like psychology or self-improvement discussions.

Usage Examples:

• Её медлительный стиль жизни иногда раздражает друзей. (Her dilatory lifestyle sometimes irritates her friends.)

  Translation: Her dilatory lifestyle sometimes irritates her friends.

• Он стал задерживающим в принятии решений после неудачи. (He became dilatory in decision-making after the failure.)

  Translation: He became dilatory in decision-making after the failure.

• Медлительный подход к обучению может замедлить прогресс. (A dilatory approach to learning can slow down progress.)

  Translation: A dilatory approach to learning can slow down progress.

• Задерживающий эффект стресса на продуктивность очевиден. (The dilatory effect of stress on productivity is evident.)

  Translation: The dilatory effect of stress on productivity is evident.

• В отличие от энергичного коллеги, он всегда медлительный. (Unlike his energetic colleague, he is always dilatory.)

  Translation: Unlike his energetic colleague, he is always dilatory.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are adjectives, which follow standard Russian adjective inflection patterns. Russian adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the nouns they modify. They have regular declensions, but can vary based on the word's root.

Note: These are regular first-conjugation adjectives. If the adjective is used predicatively, it may not inflect but must still agree in gender and number.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • оттягивающий (ottyagivayushchiy) - Similar to задерживающий, but implies more pulling back or stretching out; often used in metaphorical contexts.
  • замедляющий (zamedlyayushchiy) - A direct synonym for медлительный, emphasizing slowing down.
• Antonyms:
  • оперативный (operativnyy) - Quick and efficient.
  • быстрый (bystriy) - Fast or rapid.

Related Phrases:

• задерживающий фактор (zaderzhivayushchiy faktor) - A delaying factor; used in business or science to describe obstacles.
• медлительный темп (medlitel'nyy temp) - A sluggish pace; common in discussions about work or daily routines.
• быть задерживающим (byt' zaderzhivayushchim) - To be dilatory; a phrase for describing habitual behavior.

Usage Notes:

Dilatory in English often carries a negative connotation of intentional delay, which aligns closely with задерживающий in formal Russian contexts. However, медлительный is more neutral and can describe natural slowness. Choose задерживающий for legal or official scenarios, and медлительный for everyday descriptions. Be mindful of Russian adjective agreement with nouns, as errors here can make sentences ungrammatical. In spoken Russian, these words are versatile but avoid them in highly informal slang.

• Context tip: In Russian, these adjectives can be intensified with adverbs like "очень" (very) for emphasis, e.g., "очень задерживающий".
• Multiple translations: Use задерживающий when precision is needed, as it's more direct; медлительный is better for broader, less formal applications.

Common Errors:

English learners often misuse these adjectives by not adjusting for gender, number, or case. For example, a common error is saying "задерживающий женщина" (incorrect; should be "задерживающая женщина" for feminine noun agreement). Correct usage: "Её задерживающая манера говорить раздражает" (Her dilatory manner of speaking is irritating). Another mistake is confusing with synonyms; learners might overuse "медлительный" in formal contexts where "задерживающий" is more appropriate, leading to a mismatch in tone.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like задерживающий reflect a historical emphasis on bureaucracy and efficiency in administrative systems, stemming from Soviet-era practices. This can evoke frustration in modern contexts, as seen in literature like Chekhov's works, where dilatory behavior symbolizes societal inertia.

Related Concepts:

• протяженный (protyazhennyy) - Extended or prolonged.
• задержка (zaderzhka) - Delay.
• медленность (medlennost') - Slowness.