tardy

1 of 2

adjective

tar·​dy ˈtär-dē How to pronounce tardy (audio)
tardier; tardiest
1
: moving slowly : sluggish
the tardy pace at which she was obliged to walkCharles Dickens
2
: delayed beyond the expected or proper time : late
a tardy arrival

tardy

2 of 2

noun

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

Examples of tardy in a Sentence

Adjective She was tardy to work. They were tardy in filing the application.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Now, even that default 10 year lookback is absent from the aforementioned composite edition, as well as the also tardy prior composite edition covering 2017-19. Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 But his perpetually tardy filing led to error: nuances morphed into nuisances. Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 22 Aug. 2024 The one who is tardy to the party apologizes for the delay and promises to head over. Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2024 Morrissey asserted that the tardy disclosure of the Teske rounds did not hamper Baldwin’s defense because his attorneys apparently knew about the ammunition before the trial. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tardy 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tardy was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near tardy

Cite this Entry

“Tardy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tardy. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

tardy

adjective
tar·​dy
ˈtärd-ē
tardier; tardiest
1
: moving slowly : sluggish
2
: not on time : late
tardily
ˈtärd-ə-lē
adverb
tardiness
ˈtärd-ē-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on tardy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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