BELATED Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

belated

adjective

bi-ˈlā-təd

Definition of belated

as in delayed

not arriving, occurring, or settled at the due, usual, or proper time a belated birthday card

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of belated The journey proves a belated act of self-discovery. — John Hopewell, Variety, 17 May 2026 Tonkin marked their first wedding anniversary in a belated Instagram post on Tuesday, May 12. — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026 Seattle receiver Golden Tate, after pushing off on the Packers’ Sam Shields (no flag was thrown, naturally), had made what seemed like a belated reach and put a single arm on the ball as Jennings fell to the ground. — Michael Silver, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026 That’s true historically — Netflix ran a 10K on streaming before Disney could lace up its sneakers, prompting a mad belated frenzy from the Burbank firm to get its own service up and running more than a decade later, in 2019. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for belated

Recent Examples of Synonyms for belated

Adjective

After Tuesday’s practice, Purdy detailed how a delayed throw to Luke Farrell got intercepted by linebacker Del-Shawn Phillips off near the goal line.

— Cam Inman, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
The Real Problem Is The Ripple A delayed flight is easy to detect.

— Ishraq Khan, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of delayed

Adjective

Adames, who had an MRI on Monday, will miss more than 10 days, though manager Tony Vitello said the team is optimistic the veteran can return before the season ends in late September.

— Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Already, Ottawa has vowed to match Washington’s latest tariffs dollar for dollar.

— Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of late

Adjective

Pulitzer-Prize finalist Daniel Mason molds his new novel around Miles Krzelewski, married to a Stanford academic superstar, twelve years tardy on his dissertation.

— Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Machado, who was shifted over and essentially playing in the shortstop position, fielded the ball and diverted his route to go put a tag on Hoerner before making a tardy throw to first base.

— Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 June 2026

Definition of tardy

Adjective

Lenders often classify accounts 90+ days late as seriously delinquent, which causes many models to classify you as high risk.

— Ryley Amond, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
For example, creditors may be more willing to negotiate when an account is seriously delinquent and there is a legitimate financial hardship that makes full repayment unlikely.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of delinquent

Adjective

The courts are overdue for sanctioning his frequent abuse of the legal system.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
After performing his stunning Saxophone Concerto with the San Diego Symphony last year, Banks’ overdue SummerFest debut for three concerts this month augur well for his return here as soon as possible.

— George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of overdue

Browse Nearby Words

belabors

belated

belatedly

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Belated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belated. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of belated

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

kith

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes