adjective
-
occurring later than expected
tardy retribution
-
slow in progress, growth, etc
a tardy reader
Other Word Forms
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.
Mr Tardy captured a brown‑throated three‑toed sloth clinging to a barbed wire post after crossing a road.
From BBC • Aug. 26, 2025
Another concern with staffing shortages is that remaining employees will be overworked and burned out, and may opt to retire as job satisfaction diminishes, Tardy said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2025
While weather offices can temporarily staff up for a shift during an emergency, it’s not common for weather offices to be missing more than a few meteorologists for more than a few months, Tardy said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2025
“Overusing employees will lead to people finding other jobs or just plain quitting,” Tardy said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2025
Tardy as usual, Fischer dashed onto the stage fifteen minutes late, out of breath.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
