adjective
-
occurring later than expected
tardy retribution
-
slow in progress, growth, etc
a tardy reader
Other Word Forms
- tardily adverb
- tardiness noun
Etymology
Origin of tardy
First recorded in 1475–85; earlier tardive, tardif, from Old French, from unattested Vulgar Latin tardīvus, equivalent to Latin tard(us) “slow” + -īvus adjective suffix; see -ive
Explanation
When you're tardy, you're late. If you've ever been late for school, you know about tardy, and you may have a stash of notes your teacher has sent home to your parents, informing them of your tardiness. You may be tardy for an appointment because you got stuck in traffic, or maybe you just slept late and you don't have good time management skills. Whatever the excuse, being tardy almost always annoys whoever's waiting for you. As a reality TV star once crooned, "Don't be tardy for the party." The word comes from the Latin tardus, meaning "slow."
Vocabulary lists containing tardy
Orbiting Jupiter
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The Chocolate War
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The Great Gilly Hopkins
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Teachers accepted tardy excuses from parents of students stuck in gas lines.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
The latest, if tardy, look at the labor market wasn’t so bad at first glance.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 20, 2025
In October 2013, the inflation and employment reports for the prior month were also tardy by nearly two weeks because of a 16-day government shutdown.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025
Locals, slightly tardy, rush down the platform to welcome their guests with garlands.
From BBC • May 17, 2024
From these kinds of soldiers, therefore, come only slow, tardy, and weak conquests but sudden and astonishing losses.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
