Stopping temporarily, usually to think, rest, or wait before continuing something.
From Latin 'pausa' (stop, cessation) borrowed from Greek 'pausis' (ending). The word entered English in the 14th century and originally referred to punctuation marks and musical breaks.
Strategic pausing is actually a superpower in conversation and music—research shows that people who pause before answering questions sound more thoughtful and credible, while jazz musicians use silence as an instrument as effectively as notes. Silence isn't the absence of something; it's a presence of its own.
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