What is the purpose of the transition-delay property?

The transition-delay property is used to specify a time delay before a CSS transition effect begins. When this property is applied, it allows you to set a specific duration for how long to wait before the transition starts after an event occurs, such as a hover or a click. This delay is measured in seconds (s) or milliseconds (ms), enabling you to create more complex and dynamic user interactions on a webpage.

For example, if you have a button that changes color when hovered over, using transition-delay can add a pause before the color change occurs, providing a smoother user experience. By adjusting the delay, designers can better control the timing of animations, making them feel more polished and intentional.

This effect is distinct from other properties related to transitions, like the transition duration, which determines how long the transition takes to complete once it begins, or creating looping animations, which is unrelated to transition properties. Similarly, the functionality to activate transitions only on hover does not directly involve the transition-delay property, as it primarily manages the timing aspect of the transition itself.