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tardy

[ tahr-dee ]
/ ˈtɑr di /
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See synonyms for: tardy / tardily / tardiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, tar·di·er, tar·di·est.
late; behind time; not on time: How tardy were you today?
moving or acting slowly; slow; sluggish.
delaying through reluctance.
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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

OTHER WORDS FROM tardy

tar·di·ly, adverbtar·di·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tardy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tardy

tardy
/ (ˈtɑːdɪ) /

adjective -dier or -diest
occurring later than expectedtardy retribution
slow in progress, growth, etca tardy reader

Derived forms of tardy

tardily, adverbtardiness, noun

Word Origin for tardy

C15: from Old French tardif, from Latin tardus slow
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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