tardy

1 of 2

adjective

tar·​dy ˈtär-dē 

tardier; tardiest

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

tardy

2 of 2

noun

plural tardies

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

Synonyms of tardy

Adjective

• leisurely
• slow
• dilatory
• lagging

Examples of tardy in a Sentence

Adjective

She was tardy to work.

They were tardy in filing the application.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

As the Tribune reported last week, school districts throughout Cook County had absorbed a stunning $121 million plus in costs (and that merely is as of Dec. 28) because of the tardy distribution of cash from property taxes. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026

My friend’s supervisor, however, happened to notice her fourth tardy arrival and gave her a stern warning, per protocol. —Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 2 Jan. 2026

And now that the Biden-era law requiring airlines to compensate passengers for extensive flight delays has been withdrawn, tardy departures can be even more frustrating. —Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2025

And speaking of interesting postgame tactics, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa called out teammates for not attending players-only meetings and for being generally tardy. —Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for tardy

• hardie
• lardy
• pardy
• foolhardy
• sephardi

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