tardy

¹tar·dy

adjective \ˈtär-dē\

tar·di·ertar·di·est

Definition of TARDY

1

: moving slowly : sluggish <the tardy pace at which she was obliged to walk — Charles Dickens>

2

: delayed beyond the expected or proper time : late <a tardy arrival>

— tar·di·ness \ˈtär-dē-nəs\ noun

Examples of TARDY

1. She was tardy to work.
2. They were tardy in filing the application.

Origin of TARDY

alteration of earlier tardif, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *tardivus, from Latin tardus

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to TARDY

Synonyms

crawling, creeping, dallying, dawdling, dilatory, dillydallying, dragging, laggard, lagging, languid, leisurely, poking, poky (or pokey), sluggish, snaillike, snail-paced, slow, unhurried

Antonyms

barreling, bolting, breakneck, breathless, brisk, careering, dizzy, fast, fleet, flying, hasty, hurrying, lightning, meteoric, quick, racing, rapid, rocketing, running, rushing, scooting, scudding, scurrying, snappy, speeding, speedy, swift, warp-speed, whirling, whirlwind, whisking, zipping

Related Words

deliberate, measured; inactive, inert, lethargic, loafing, lounging; lingering, loitering, tarrying; ambling, heavy-footed, inching, plodding, shuffling, slow-footed; strolling; decelerating, slowing; filibustering, procrastinating, stalling

Near Antonyms

expeditious, prompt, ready; accelerated, hastened, quickened; hurried, rushed

Rhymes with TARDY

hardy, Hardy, lardy

²tardy

noun

plural tardies

Definition of TARDY

: an instance of being tardy (as to a class)

First Known Use of TARDY

1960

Other Education Terms

baccalaureate, colloquium, corequisite, dissertation, monograph, pedant, practicum, survey course, thesis