1
as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
thus far progress on the project has been tardy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delayed
not arriving, occurring, or settled at the due, usual, or proper time
explained that I was tardy because my car had broken down on the way to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 tardy
Teachers accepted tardy excuses from parents of students stuck in gas lines.
—
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
But unlike a premiere, live television doesn’t wait for the tardy A-lister to start.
—Lindsey Bahr, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
But unlike a premiere, live television doesn’t wait for the tardy A-lister to start.
—ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
Gabby Windey says Peacock is tardy on the prize money, and Rob Rausch agrees.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tardy
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
But unlike a premiere, live television doesn’t wait for the tardy A-lister to start.
—Lindsey Bahr, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
But unlike a premiere, live television doesn’t wait for the tardy A-lister to start.
—ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
Gabby Windey says Peacock is tardy on the prize money, and Rob Rausch agrees.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tardy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tardy
Adjective
-
Start the day with grab-and-go breakfast tacos and end it with a leisurely dinner of Wagyu beef fajitas or the Dandy Don, an enchilada sampler made with locally famous La Norteña tortillas.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
-
Its activewear combines fitness, sports with the leisurely surf style.—
Ella Gonzales
May 4,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
The combination of the chiming, delayed guitar, twiddly ‘80s synths, weird time signatures and Fish’s unique lyrics and vocal delivery all added up to a very intriguing listen.—
Liza Lentini,
SPIN,
8 May 2026
-
What started as a delayed flight out of Atlanta quickly turned into a federal case.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But so far, progress has been slow — if not nonexistent.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Russia’s bigger and better-equipped army has been engaged in a slow, hard slog in Ukraine.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Park Hyatt Beijing welcomes many business travelers, and the easy-access power and latest USB outlets show the renovation’s attention to detail.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
-
Look to the spinal cord of the team up the middle, from goalkeepers Mia Justus (who picked up an injury in late April) and the USWNT’s Mandy McGlynn to center back Kate Del Fava, Narumi Miura and Mina Tanaka in the center of the park, and Paige Cronin up top.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Reporting meant hours of conversation in the car; room for asking the same questions over and over; the gradual diminishment of one’s embarrassment about being ignorant or uncertain; a dilatory attitude of quiet listening and watching; the possibility of misunderstandings resolved.—
Joshua Rothman,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
-
He can’t be blamed for the agency’s dilatory response to problems at the plant.—
The Editorial Board,
WSJ,
25 May 2022
Adjective
-
Data the city provided to the Miami Herald shows that fewer than 40 of its over 60,000 water and sewer accounts are delinquent by more than 120 days, according to the Public Works Department.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
-
In a typical year, the bureau may refer $9 million to $12 million in delinquent accounts for collection — revenue that the audit said was put at serious risk.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The lagging percentage of women film directors last year is a clear sign that the industry is going backward, said Kirsten Schaffer, chief executive of WIF, which advocates for women in Hollywood.—
Samantha Masunaga,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2026
-
The United States typically experiences the lagging edge of Latin American displacement waves.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Use that momentum to start a belated conversation or lead a communication endeavor.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tardy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tardy. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
