How to add Time Delay in Python?

A time delay means pausing the program for a short period before continuing to the next step. This is useful when you want to slow down the execution, like waiting between messages or steps in a loop. In Python, you can add a delay using the sleep() function from the time module, where you specify how many seconds the program should wait.

Now let's look at different ways to pause/delay execution in Python.

Using time.sleep() function

The time.sleep() function pauses the program for a set number of seconds before continuing. It's the simplest way to add a delay in execution.

Syntax:

time.sleep(seconds)

seconds: The number of seconds to pause the program (can be an integer or float).

Example 1: Printing the numbers by adding a time delay.

Output

👁 Image

Explanation: It prints numbers one by one from 0 to 4, pausing 2 seconds between each print.

Example 2: Dramatic printing using sleep() for every character.

Output

👁 Image

Explanation:

• The code prints each character of a string with a 0.5-second delay using time.sleep().
• It creates an auto-typing effect on the screen.

Example 3: Printing the pattern by taking range from the user and adding time delay.

Output

👁 Image

Explanation:

• It prints a right-angled triangle pattern of asterisks (*) using nested loops.
• Each * is printed with a 0.5-second delay to create a slow, step-by-step visual effect.

Example 4: Multithreading using sleep()

Output

👁 Image

Explanation:

• Two classes Geeks and For run in separate threads and print "Geeks" and "For" multiple times with delays.
• Both threads start together and print messages at the same time.
• After both finish, the program prints "All Done!!".

Using threading.Event.wait function

threading.Event().wait() function pauses a thread for a specified time without blocking other threads. It's similar to time.sleep() but works well in multithreading scenarios.

Syntax:

threading.Event().wait(timeout)

timeout: Number of seconds to wait. If not given, it waits indefinitely until the event is set.

Example:

Output

Geeks
for
Geeks

Explanation: It creates a typing effect with pauses, using threading.Event().wait() as an alternative to time.sleep() for delaying execution without blocking other threads (if used in multithreaded programs).

Using threading.Timer class

threading.Timer class runs a function after a specified delay in a separate thread. It's useful for scheduling tasks without blocking the main program.

Syntax:

threading.Timer(interval, function, args=None, kwargs=None)

• interval: Time (in seconds) to wait before running the function.
• function: The function to execute after the delay.
• args (optional): Tuple of arguments for the function.
• kwargs (optional): Dictionary of keyword arguments for the function.

Example:

Output

Timer
Computer Science: GeeksforGeeks

Explanation:

• Prints "Timer" right away. Then, after a 1-second delay, it runs the gfg() function in the background and prints "Computer Science: GeeksforGeeks".
• The delay doesn’t stop the main program.

Using time.monotonic() and time.monotonic_ns() functions

time.monotonic() and time.monotonic_ns() return a clock value that always moves forward, making them useful for measuring time gaps. They aren’t affected by system clock changes. monotonic_ns() gives the time in nanoseconds for higher precision.

Example 1: With time.monotonic() function

Time delay of 5 seconds is over!

Explanation: Measures a 5-second delay using time.monotonic() by checking the time difference in a loop, then prints a message when the delay is over.

Example 2: With time.monotonic_ns() function

Output

Time delay of 5 seconds is over!

Explanation: It waits for 5 seconds using high-precision time.monotonic_ns(). After the delay, it prints a message saying the time is over.

Related Articles:

• time.sleep()
• Multithreading in python
• thread.Event.wait()
• time.monotonic()
• time.monotonic_ns()