too little, too late

Idioms and Phrases

Inadequate as a remedy and not in time to be effective, as in The effort to divert the stream into a corn field was too little too late—the houses were already flooded . This term originated in the military, where it was applied to reinforcements that were insufficient and arrived too late to be of help. [First half of 1900s]

Example Sentences

Ukrainian commentators applauded the step, but many bleakly opined that it was too little, too late.

From Los Angeles Times

The Mexican appeared to tire towards the end of the bout, Billam-Smith having moments of joy but it was all too little too late, with the Briton's coach Shane McGuigan vocally frustrated at how the fight was playing out.

From BBC

She wrote back describing the apology as "too little, too late" and is now calling for other senior church leaders who failed to intervene to prevent Smyth's abuse to resign: "I just think people of the church, if they see something not going in the right direction, if it needs the police they should go to the police."

From BBC

Her opponents dismissed that progress as too little, too late, and seized on voter dissatisfaction to pitch themselves as more qualified alternatives.

From Los Angeles Times

Her leading opponents dismissed that progress as too little, too late.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• insufficient
• mere
• minimum
• miserable
• paltry
• puny
• scant
• scanty
• skimpy
• sparse
• tenuous