diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/pause-try-except-curses.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/pause-try-except-curses.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1e8316f9a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/pause-try-except-curses.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - pause - nest try except when importing curses to gracefully fail if curses is not present (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/42004)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/pause.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/pause.py
index abece3adf1..f021f793ad 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/pause.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/pause.py
@@ -39,9 +39,14 @@ except ImportError:
 
 try:
     import curses
-    curses.setupterm()
-    HAS_CURSES = True
-except (ImportError, curses.error):
+
+    # Nest the try except since curses.error is not available if curses did not import
+    try:
+        curses.setupterm()
+        HAS_CURSES = True
+    except curses.error:
+        HAS_CURSES = False
+except ImportError:
     HAS_CURSES = False
 
 if HAS_CURSES: