tardiness

noun

tar·​di·​ness ˈtär-dē-nəs 

: the quality or state of being tardy or late

Students might be sent to Saturday school for any of various infractions, such as tardiness, truancy, smoking, failure to deliver class-work, or creating a disturbance.

—Anne H. Soukhanov

What you really need is a story that will not only excuse tardiness but encourage your boss to give you the entire day off.

—Jeff Foxworthy

His habitual tardiness got him fired from job after job, yet he couldn't see the consequences of his actions.

—June Kinoshita

Synonyms of tardiness

• lateness

Examples of tardiness in a Sentence

habitual tardiness will be recorded in your personnel file

Recent Examples on the Web

Kelly's representation complained that LSU's tardiness in finalizing his termination caused the former Notre Dame head coach struggles to seek employment before the 2026 season. —Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025

Most interestingly, though, is that Heather doesn’t make a single mention of her tardiness, which is either incredibly mature, a power move, or is focused on the more pressing matter at hand. —Tom Smyth, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2025

Meanwhile, boomers have zero tolerance for tardiness. —Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025

Qing Yuan seldom complained about Qi Chu’s tardiness, but this morning his patience had grown thin. —Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tardiness

• hardiness