adj., -di·er, -di·est.
- Occurring, arriving, acting, or done after the scheduled, expected, or usual time; late.
- Moving slowly; sluggish.
[Alteration of Middle English tardive, slow, from Old French tardif, from Vulgar Latin *tardīvus, from Latin tardus.]
tardily tar'di·ly adv.tardiness tar'di·ness n.
SYNONYMS tardy, behindhand, late, overdue. These adjectives mean not arriving, occurring, acting, or done at the scheduled, expected, or usual time: tardy in making a dental appointment; behindhand with her car payments; late for the plane; an overdue bus.
ANTONYM prompt
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
